A SERIAL burglar from Newton Abbot is to be assessed for drug rehabilitation after he admitted breaking into three homes in the town.

Steven Buchanan has six previous convictions for burglary and has only spent a few months out of prison during his adult life.

 

The 28-year-old had only been released from his most recent sentence a few days before he carried out the first of his trio of raids.

 

He broke into homes at Courtenay Park, Knowles Hill, and Manor Gardens and stole computers, games consoles, bags, cash and even birthday cards.

 

The first two break-ins were in May and June last year, just after he was released. The third was in March when he was on bail.

 

Buchanan, of Coronation Road, admitted the offences and Judge Geoffrey Mercer QC adjourned his sentence for four weeks for a probation report and drug rehabilitation assessment.

 

He said: ‘If you look at the record, this man has quite deservedly been in prison since he was 20. These are no more unpleasant than any dwelling house burglary.

 

‘They were in unoccupied houses, although one tenant came back when he was there. Where someone has been in prison non-stop for so long, there needs to be a full report to look at his motivation for drug rehabilitation.

 

‘I am not raising his hopes or making any promises. It is likely he will receive a substantial prison sentence again.’

 

Buchanan is liable to a minimum three-year sentence under the ’three strikes and you’re out’ law unless the judge considers there are exceptional circumstances.

 

Mr Paul Grumbar, defending, said: ‘My client has been a class A drug addict since the age of 12 and he has told me what sort of life he led when he was growing up.

 

‘He comes off drugs until circumstances cause him to start using them again and he offends because he has to pay for them.

 

‘It has not been recognised as the root of his problems in the past and so there has never been a drug rehabilitation assessment in the past.’