Southampton contractor Arnett Dill faces up to 15 years behind bars after being convicted of a stack of break-ins and one count of arson by a Supreme Court jury yesterday.

After hearing 13 days of evidence the jury of six men and six women wasted no time at all in finding Dill, 43, of Leacraft Hill Road, guilty of five burglaries, one count of arson and two counts of causing wilful damage. The raids which took place last Christmas, netted Dill and an accomplice more than $80,000 worth of property.

After completing her directions to the jury just before mid-day, Puisne Judge Norma Wade Miller adjourned the case until after lunch. When the trial resumed after the break the jurors had already reached their verdict on all eight counts by a unanimous decision.

As the verdicts were read out, Dill, who has been in custody since his arrest, sat emotionless in the dock.

Despite maintaining his innocence throughout, the weight of evidence against Dill was enormous, largely due to a thorough Police investigation which involved the tracing of hundreds of stolen items, including office equipment, stereos and thousands of dollars worth of jewellery and cash.

The court heard how Dill was arrested in the early hours of January 4 at the rear of the Trimingham's store in Paget. Although he told Police he was on his way to a party, numerous tools, including a screw driver and crowbar, were found in his car and he was also wearing thick gloves. His accomplice, John Jefferis, was also arrested at the scene and has since been jailed for three years after pleading guilty to three of the break-ins.

Following his arrest Police searched Dill's office on Front Street -- where he ran his business as a roof repairer -- where they found a stash of stolen goods from other stores that had been burgled over the Christmas period. His father's home contained even more booty and more goods were recovered from his car.

The stolen property was traced to raids at the Audio Visual Electronics and Trimingham's stores in Somerset, Warwick Camp, Club Med and the SKB Coatings store. Dill also caused about $100,000 worth of damage after setting fire to the Audio Visual Electronics store following the raid.

Throughout the trial Dill maintained that he was not involved in any of the burglaries and that he had been given the stolen items by Jefferis, not knowing they had been stolen.

But Crown counsel Paul Doherty was able to tear into Dill's testimony and his credibility as a witness was left in tatters after a relentless grilling by the prosecutor.

When he took to the witness stand Dill repeatedly contradicted earlier statements he had made to Police.

When arrested, he had told detectives he had bought some of the stolen property in house sales but in court he said that he had been given them by Jefferis in lieu of rent.

An account of his movements over the New Year holiday also failed to tally with an earlier alibi he gave to Police.

He also denied that Jefferis had ever borrowed his car during that same period. When then asked how some of the stolen property could have got into his vehicle he replied: "Now you're getting all technical''. A tired jury could not suppress their giggles.

A host of witnesses were also called by the prosecution to back up their case.

Dill's aunt claimed that he sold her a video recorder which had been stolen in one of the raids for $200.

Dill denied the transaction had ever taken place. "If I had sold her anything I would have given her a receipt,'' he said.

Puisne Judge Mrs. Wade Miller will pass sentence later this morning.