Keshava Cavenagh, 28, appeared in the Dunedin District Court this week after earlier admitting a raft of charges.
On February 20, while he was still on release conditions from his last prison sentence he stole a bag of lollies from the City Mini Market.
Three days later, Cavenagh stole a tip jar from a local cafe and ran with it into an alleyway and shimmied up a drain pipe.
The defendant smashed a window on the second floor of the building, climbed in and left a faecal deposit on the floor.
Cavenagh then left the building and changed his clothing in an attempt to hide from police, before breaking into an office to avoid detection.
When police caught up to him they found he had an extendable baton, a meth pipe and the change from the tip jar.
Earlier, in Christchurch, just nine days after the defendant was released from jail, police found him shirtless outside a retirement village.
A search revealed Cavenagh had prescription medication belonging to another person and a craft knife in his possession.
This week at sentencing, counsel Meg Scally said the defendant had moved cities for a fresh start.
‘‘He’s back at square one which is back in custody,’’ Ms Scally said.
Cavenagh’s drug use, mental-health issues and institutionalisation had led to the offending, for which he was remorseful, the lawyer said.
A drug and alcohol report said Cavenagh was exposed to alcohol and cannabis at 13 years old, and started using meth later in his teens.
Judge Peter Winter highlighted the defendant had 46 previous convictions, 30 of them resulting in prison sentences — a sad statistic for someone who was still young, he said.
‘‘You have the ability to change if you want to,’’ the judge said.
‘‘Life is supposed to be better than what it is for you at the moment.’’
He noted the defendant’s difficult upbringing, drug addiction and mental-health issues.
Judge Winter sentenced Cavenagh to 10 months’ imprisonment and ordered the illegal items found in his possession be destroyed.
