An unemployed man who stole no more than $20 from a collection tin in Albury's St Patrick's Catholic Church presbytery has no memory of the crime.
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Garry Shaun Meaker told police on his arrest that he was willing to pay a couple of hundred dollars' restitution to the church to show his remorse.
Meaker was not charged with the May, 2018, burglary for another six months.
He had, he said, been using methamphetamine "heavily" between February and August that year.
Meaker pleaded guilty in Albury Local Court this week to break, enter and steal and to possess a prohibited drug.
The 37-year-old, who lives with his mother in Lavington, was out of work because of ongoing issues related to his type one diabetes and mental health.
The court was told Meaker had an "extensive" criminal history dating to 1996 for similar offences.
Police said a priest who lived upstairs at the presbytery, with two others, went out for the day on May 17, 2018, around midday.
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Some time that afternoon or evening, Meaker removed security screen mesh from a window at the side of the presbytery office.
Meaker opened the window and began rifling through cupboards and drawers.
He then stole between $10 and $20 cash from the collection tin, which was in a drawer.
The priest returned home at 11.30pm to find the side window, plus the drawers and cupboards, left open.
The next day, police located fingerprints belonging to Meaker on the inside of the security door.
DNA recovered at the scene also matched that from Meaker.
Magistrate Rodney Brender was told that police found Meaker inside a unit in Sylvannia Avenue, North Albury, on November 30, 2018, about 9.50am.
He was told he was under arrest for break and enter.
A small amount of cannabis was found in his bag.
"Yeah," Meaker told the officers, "I'm not going to lie, it's in my bag."
Meaker said he bought the drugs, which weighed two grams, a couple of days before.
When told about the church break-in, Meaker began crying though he declined to be further interviewed over the allegations.
Mr Brender ordered the preparation of a sentence assessment report.
He adjourned sentencing to June 14.
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