A Warrnambool criminal who broke into a priest's home the day after getting out of jail has been imprisoned for another six months.
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Patrick Gavin, 53, has pleaded guilty in the Warrnambool Magistrates Court to burglary and theft-related charges.
He was jailed for six months with 24 days counted as served.
Magistrate Gerard Lethbridge said Gavin had a long and sad history of criminal offending, spending a good deal of his life in prison.
"You're getting a bit old for this caper," the magistrate told Gavin.
"You really need to address some things."
Mr Lethbridge said Gavin had been released from prison the day before offending and then returned and broke into the church presbytery.
"It's not the most serious example or the worst of this sort of offending," he said.
"Look, for goodness sake get some supports in place. When released have somewhere to go," adding there was no value in taking a handful of prescription medication, offending and then ending up back in custody.
Police told the court Gavin was let out of prison on June 16 after serving a two-month sentence for burglary, theft, breaching bail and 26 counts of obtaining property by deception.
The following day Gavin rode a bike to the St Pius X Catholic Church presbytery in Morriss Road where he broke in and stole $400 cash from a bookshelf.
The offender was captured on security camera footage and Gavin was identified.
The priest then had the locks changed as he suspected Gavin had keys to the presbytery.
On June 21 the locksmith left keys on a table, but Gavin returned on the bike and stole the keys.
The locks had to be changed again.
Gavin was arrested on June 23 and has now spent 24 days in custody.
He told police after being released from prison he returned to Warrnambool, took prescription medication Xanax and "lost a week".
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