A serial burglar was sentenced to five years in prison after he admitted entering two homes in Warwick and prowling at a third.

Coltrane Ratteray pleaded guilty in the Supreme Court to all three incidents, all of which reportedly occurred shortly after being released from prison for similar offences.

The court heard that on the night of April 28, a Warwick resident awoke to the sound of a window in another room being opened.

When he went to investigate, he saw the defendant standing by the now-open window. The burglar allegedly grabbed a shawl from a nearby couch, using it to cover his face before jumping out of the window.

Some days later, another Warwick resident upon hearing about incidents in her neighbourhood decided to review the CCTV footage from cameras at her home.

A recording made on May 14 at around 2.46am appeared to show a man on her upper floor porch looking at her windows.

She contacted police, who subsequently spoke to a second neighbour who also had security cameras.

Footage from those cameras from the same evening showed the defendant looking around the lower floor of the building before walking up the stairs to the upper floor and continuing the search.

The second burglary took place on May 18, when at around 4am the resident head noises coming from the hallway, and then the TV room.

When he went to investigate, he saw a man wearing a black shirt and cargo shorts. He shouted at the intruder, startling him.

The suspect then ran out of the house through an open door, making good his escape.

The complainants in both burglaries later identified Ratteray as the intruder, while officers recognised Ratteray from the prowling incident.

During a sentencing hearing, prosecutor Loxly Ricketts called for a sentence of six years behind bars noting the defendants long history of previous offences, including 17 burglaries and seven incidents of prowling.

However defence lawyer Simone Smith-Bean called for the court to look at measures to address the defendant’s drug addiction, noting that prison terms had not been able to change his behaviour.

“I believe that prison has not assisted in deterring him as he as he has not been able to avail himself of any assistance other than sitting in a cage,” she said, suggesting the court could consider time in a residential treatment facility following any term of imprisonment.

She urged the court to show leniency, stating that Ratteray was homeless and, due to his previous convictions, unable to find work at the time of the offence.

Mrs Smith-Bean also noted that no one was injured and nothing taken in either incident, saying that in one burglary Ratteray only wanted to use the restroom and believe the property to be empty.

In a letter read before the court, Ratteray apologised to those who he may have hurt through his actions, saying that he understood the need to change himself.

Puisne Judge Carlisle Greaves responded he was not empowered to force Ratteray into residential treatment facilities as such facilities have to agree to accept a client, instead sentencing him to five years in custody and ordering that he participate in appropriate treatment programmes.

He also noted the defendant’s long history of previous convictions, saying that Ratteray was “not a very successful burglar” and, based on the details of the incidents before the court, was only getting worse.

The judge implored the defendant to use his time in custody to address his drug issues and learn a skill so that he can create opportunities when he is released.

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