A Sandys man has been jailed for three years for breaking and entering to feed his cocaine habit.

Charles Lavann Kenneth Ratteray 11, 38, of Somerset Road, was committed to Supreme Court after failing to stay with the drug court programme which gives offenders breaks on sentencing if they get cured.

Ratteray pleaded guilty to robbing a Border Lane, Pembroke home on September 28, 2001 where he had been doing construction work the day before.

The victim heard a drawer being closed in his sister's bedroom but his sister had already gone to work.

He found Ratteray in the room and made him empty his pockets, revealing $36. The victim detained Ratteray until Police arrived and arrested him.

He told them he had gone to the victim's home to see if he had any more work for him.

Ratteray knocked on the door, no one answered and so he entered the unlocked door and took the cash from the complainant's bed and a watch worth $90 from the sister's nightstand.

He told Police: "I'm sorry that was a stupid thing I done, my drug curiosity then took over."

Ratteray also pleaded guilty to breaking into Apex Ice Company in Cricket Lane, Sandys on July 14 and 16, 2001 and stealing a total of $72 from the cash box. He also admitted stealing $20 worth of cash and ferry tokens from a car in Sandys on August 26, 2001. Fingerprint evidence led to Ratteray who said he needed cash to feed his cocaine habit.

Chief Justice Austin Ward jailed Ratteray for three years.