A JUDGE slammed a drug abuser for his “gall” in stealing his brother’s DVD collection at his mother’s house from where he had been banned because of his dishonest past.

Only a few days earlier, John Maunder had stolen the back door key at a friend’s home where he had been allowed to stay before returning the following day to steal his electronic games.

“They were mean offences and you deliberately targeted them,” said Judge Jayne Miller QC.

She heard from prosecutor Wendy Megeney how Maunder, 21, had also sold a stolen bike for £30. That and the games were recovered but not the 150 DVD collection.

Maunder, of Landguard Road, admitted two burglaries and one each of fraud and handling.

The judge said she was giving him one last chance with a 12-month suspended sentence coupled with 200 hours’ unpaid work.

Michael Williams, defending, said Maunder had not reoffended for nine months and cocaine, which lay behind what he had done, was no longer an issue