He threatened to rape and kill a woman in one case, gripping her around the neck and chasing her downstairs naked, Supreme Court heard.

In another of the late night robberies, he attacked a man with a meat cleaver, slashing him on his shoulder, hands and legs.

David A. Dill, 25, apologising to the victims of his crimes, told Supreme Court an addiction to cocaine, heroin and marijuana led him to commit them.

But Chief Justice the Hon. Justice Ward told Dill: "You had been afforded the opportunity in the past to get help but the problem was not cured.

"You must make a greater effort to help yourself.'' Dill admitted breaking into four homes in the night-time last November with intent to commit felonies.

He further admitted stealing $250 worth of clothing, robbing two women of wallets containing a total of $500 and unlawfully wounding a man with intent to do him grievous bodily harm.

Mr. Justice Ward sentenced Dill to seven years prison on each count, ordering the terms to run concurrently.

Stating the facts of the first break-in, Crown Counsel Mr. Brian Calhoun told the court that on November 4 at 5 a.m., Dill entered a Devonshire woman's home by removing the kitchen window slates.

"As the woman woke up, the defendant demanded that she give him her purse,'' Mr. Calhoun said.

"When the woman attempted to flee, Dill choked her around the neck and threatened to rape or kill her if she did not give him money. He was also brandishing a pair of scissors.

"The woman eventually escaped and ran downstairs unclothed, but was caught by Dill who demanded money.'' Mr. Calhoun said that after he obtained the woman's wallet, which contained close to $400, Dill ran off.

He was arrested after the woman identified him in a line up.

Dill struck again on November 13, entering the home of another woman and her roommates in Paget around midnight via a kitchen window. "When he was confronted by the occupants of the house, Dill threatened them with a meat cleaver demanding money,'' Mr. Calhoun said. A fight broke out which resulted in Dill using the meat cleaver to cut one of the residents on his shoulders, hands and right ankle.

The man required stitches to close the wounds. Nothing was stolen.

On November 14 shortly after midnight, Dill again armed with a meat cleaver entered a Pembroke woman's home through a bedroom window.

When the woman and her roommate saw Dill in the house they locked themselves in another room. Dill stole $250 worth of clothing and left.

Also on November 14, Dill entered a second home in Pembroke around 1 a.m.

by cutting a screen and unlocking the door.

He stole the female occupant's purse and its contents valued at $100.

Mr. Calhoun added that Dill had a lengthy criminal record that began on July 17, 1985 and consisted of thefts, assaults and other violence. Many of his victims were female, Mr.

Calhoun noted.

"Dill has had opportunities to be in drug rehab programmes,'' Mr. Calhoun said. "He indicated that most of the crimes were done when he was high, and his way to get more drugs was to steal.

"This is still a young man but he has an overpowering drug problem, and he will still do drugs if something goes unfortunate.'' Mr. Calhoun said the woman Dill choked and threatened to rape "would never sleep safely in her house again''.

Dill's lawyer Mr. Delroy Duncan said: "This young man is addicted to a cocktail of the well-known drugs, cocaine, marijuana and heroin.

"When he needed drugs he committed am offence. After he committed the night break-ins he would immediately go and acquire the drugs.

"All the offences appeared to show a lack of sophistication.'' He added that Dill had pleaded guilty to all the charges, saving the victims from the trauma of facing him again.

Mr. Duncan asked the Chief Justice for the full discount given for a guilty plea and to impose a concurrent sentence.

When asked if he had anything to say Dill replied: "If the people that I hurt were here I would apologise to them. I do have a severe drug problem and I need to get treated. I'm asking to court to put me in a programme while in prison.''