A man who suspected his North Albury neighbour was dishonest was proven right when Jason Andrew Johnstone was caught walking off with a gaming console.
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Johnstone was also balancing several controllers for the console as he tried to make his getaway.
The victim, another neighbour - who caught Johnstone - and the offender had earlier been in the house together.
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Albury Local Court has been told Johnstone had asked whether he could use Wi-Fi in the victim's home "to follow-up a matter with Centrelink".
The others left and Johnstone, a father of four and grandfather of two, made his move.
Johnstone, 50, of Wantigong Street, pleaded guilty to a charge of steal property in dwelling house.
Defence lawyer Glenn Moody told magistrate Sally McLaughlin that his client had been suffering from "money troubles" in the lead-up to his offending.
"He was struggling to get by day-to-day," Mr Moody said.
The court heard how Johnstone had not long completed an intensive corrections order - a jail sentence served in the community - when he thieved from the victim's house.
But Ms McLaughlin said what was in Johnstone's favour was there had been no further offending since the incident happened in October, 2022.
Nevertheless, she said his criminal record showed a history of dishonesty offences, exacerbated by illicit drug addiction.
Ms McLaughlin told Johnstone that if he was not able to overcome his addiction then it was unlikely he would be a positive prospect for rehabilitation.
Police told the court that Johnstone, the victim and another man who were there that day all lived within a few doors of each other.
Johnstone went to the victim's home on October 15 about 1.50pm to ask if he could use the man's Wi-Fi for his online Centrelink inquiry.
The victim agreed to the request and stayed in the house while Johnstone got on the internet.
Police said while there Johnstone asked the victim if he could inquire about selling a PlayStation 5 in the house, but the man refused.
The other neighbour, who had gone out briefly, returned to the house, then he and the victim left.
Police said the victim had walked about 50 metres from his home when he asked the other man to return "to keep an eye on his house as he was suspicious of the accused".
When he returned, he saw Johnstone loitering around the front door. The man went inside and soon afterwards heard banging coming from the side fence.
The man then saw, through a window, Johnstone going out a side gate and heading towards the back door.
Moments later, he watched as Johnstone headed the other way with the PlayStation console and three controllers.
Johnstone left the property and did not return.
Ms McLaughlin convicted and fined Johnstone $1800, placed him on a 12-month community corrections order with supervision and ordered he pay $980 over the stolen property.
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