A 63-year-old heroin addict has been sentenced to prison for burgling a dead man's Ballarat East unit on two occasions after scoping it out.
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Stephen Frost was captured on CCTV looking through the window of the Callow Street unit at 4am on October 13.
Police prosecutor Senior Constable Steve Repac said Frost, who lived nearby, returned to the property at 4.30am with tools in his hands.
He said Frost attended the unit the following day at 2.55am, and then again at 3.03am with a crowbar. He forced entry into the unit and stole a number of items including a television, fishing rods, guitar and amplifier.
Senior Constable Repac said on October 18 at 3.50am, police officers caught Frost breaking into the dead man's home a second time after a neighbour reported suspicious noise.
He said Frost was found hiding in the bedroom cupboard wearing plastic disposable gloves with $1.70 in loose coins and a screwdriver in his pocket.
Frost was arrested and he made admissions to police, telling them the reason for the burglary was "just greed more than anything".
In earlier offending on October 12, Frost broke into a Latitude Court home while the occupant was out and stole an iPad, iPad charger, hair straightener and jewellery.
Defence lawyer David Tamanika said his client was on the methadone program but had reduced his dose and relapsed at the time of the offending.
He was jailed for 31 days, which he has already served, and placed on an 18-month community correction order.
Frost pleaded guilty at the Ballarat Magistrates Court on Tuesday to five charges, including burglary and going equipped to steal.
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