BURGLAR John McKenna, who has 21 previous convictions for 112 offences, has been given a chance to kick his heroin habit.

McKenna's latest break-in was at a house in Willowfield Drive, Trentham, last December where police found his DNA on a part-eaten chocolate biscuit.

Property taken in the raid included an Xbox console and games, a sat nav, mobile phone, guitar, iPod, laptop, car and house keys and a memory stick containing college work by the homeowner's son.

Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court was told last month that a chocolate biscuit had been chewed and spat out on the sofa.

Some of the stolen property was found a few days later after police searched a house in Port Street, Middleport. And officers later recovered the guitar from a shop in Hanley.

It had been sold to the shop by Daniel Reaney, aged 31, of Port Street. He pleaded guilty to burglary and was sentenced at an earlier hearing to 21 months in prison.

McKenna, aged 37, of Dawlish Drive, Bentilee, also admitted burglary and was last month remanded in custody for reports.

Joanne Wallbanks, mitigating, asked Judge Simon Tonking to consider the defendant for a drug rehabilitation programme.

"He has only ever had custody. He is desperate to sort out his drug problem. He has never had any help," added Miss Wallbanks.

The judge agreed to adjourn the sentence to allow McKenna to be assessed to see if he was suitable for a drug rehabilitation programme.

Miss Wallbanks yesterday told Stafford Crown Court that McKenna had already spent 175 days in custody awaiting sentence.

"He has a positive attitude to tackling his (drug) problem," she said.

Judge Tonking gave the defendant a 12 month prison sentence, suspended for two years, coupled with a drug rehabilitation order.

The judge told McKenna: "There is no question you committed a very serious offence, a dwelling house burglary committed at night, when the house was occupied and valuable property was stolen.

"I accept you weren't alone when you committed this burglary and another man has received a sentence of 21 months and I have to bear that in mind.

"Your previous convictions are many and there are 12 previous convictions for dwelling house burglary, but the last one was in 1997, some 13 years ago.

"In mitigation, you pleaded guilty, more powerfully you handed yourself in to police. I accept you are sorry and you do want to turn away from crime."

Judge Tonking added: "If you meet up with your former drug acquaintances, they'll be absolutely desperate to get you back on the heroin – you must make sure you don't."