A Lavington man who ransacked a popular Dean Street eatery for cash to feed his drug addiction had been using since he was aged 13.
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Matthew Andrew Daniel got away with $944 in cash, $444 of that taken after he took the cash register outside to smash on the ground.
The balance of $500 was stolen after he forced entry into an upstairs office at the Mr Benedict cafe.
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Prosecutor Sergeant Andrew Coombs urged the court to impose a full-time jail sentence.
Sergeant Coombs told Albury Local Court magistrate Richard Funston that Daniel - who turns 27 on Friday - had received such a sentence three times in the past for like crimes.
He said Daniel's latest offending had been aggravated by him being on an intensive corrections order.
But while Mr Funston handed Daniel a 12-month term, he allowed him to serve this in the community by way of another intensive corrections order.
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Mr Funston said he had taken into account the time Daniel had already spent in custody.
"This could be your one big chance," he told Daniel, who appeared via a video link to Junee jail.
"It's a critical time for you in your life."
Daniel, who police said had an "extensive" criminal history in NSW for property-related offences, pleaded guilty to break, enter and steal, having suspected stolen goods and possess a prohibited drug.
He broke into the cafe on November 14 just before 1am after climbing a courtyard fence.
Goods he stole included two pressure washers, a leaf blower, a first-aid kit, bolt cutters and a printer.
He had 5.8 grams of cannabis when arrested two days later.