A prolific thief who broke his anti-social behaviour order three times by breaking into cars has walked free from court.

David Coutts was caught smashing his way into a vehicle which had been wired up with covert cameras in a police sting in a town centre car park.

And the 36-year-old, who had already breached his ASBO three times, also broke into a further four cars to steal items to funds his drug habit.

But a judge at Swindon crown court imposed a one year suspended sentence so the addict could go on a drug rehabilitation requirement.

Colin Meeke, prosecuting, said "The defendant has a long record of criminal convictions stretching back well over 20 years.

"These days his principal offending is breaking into cars to steal things to sell quickly to raise money for his next fix.

"That he had a habit of doing in Swindon for some little while among other offences."

In October last year he said Coutts was put on a two year ASBO banning him from all public car parks in Wiltshire apart from the one outside his solicitor's office.

But he continued to offend breaching the order twice earlier this year and receiving short jail terms each time.

Mr Meeke said he was out of prison by Tuesday August 28 when he broke into a grey Honda Civic in the Fleming Way car park.

"He broke the glass in the drop light and stole a laptop computer sitting in the foot well.

"The vehicle belonged to the Wiltshire constabulary and contained a number of covert cameras precisely to pick up who was breaking into cars.

"There are superb photos of him breaking into the vehicle looking at what he wanted. Even in black and white they are good quality."

In committing the offence he said Coutts was in breach of the ASBO - an offence which carries a maximum jail term of five years.

About a week earlier the defendant had taken £40 from another car in the same car park also in breach of the order.

Mr Meeke said Coutts had also broken into three cars on the morning of Wednesday June 20 stealing three crates of beer and a £1,000 laptop from one, a gold signet ring from the second and three CDs, a torch and binoculars from the third.

Later that morning he was found with a friend gouging the putty from the window of a closed down crack house in Emlyn Square.

As officers approached the other man said to him Say nothing, just ask for Rob Ross' which the court heard he more or less did.

Coutts, of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty to five counts of theft, three of breaching his ASBO and one of criminal damage.

Rob Ross, defending, said days after the latest offences his client had managed to get prescribed methadone and was off heroin.

But after being remanded in custody he had been clean of even that and was now for the first time in many years had no drugs at all in his system.

Mr Ross said it was his client who asked for the ASBO to be imposed which had proved to be an albatross around his neck' ever since.

He said that were Coutts released on a community order or suspended sentence it would be his best chance to reform and stay off drugs.

Mr Ross told the court "Another thing gives me some confidence that this is worth a chance. I have come across several people lately who I would never in a million years have put money on sorting themselves out.

"They have got to that point where they woke up and said I have had enough of this' and turned their lives around. It is usually the ones you don't expect to do it who do it."

He said the probation service had arranged for accommodation to be sorted out for his client as well as lining up appointments to help him stay off drugs.

Recorder Nicholas Haggan QC imposed a one year jail term suspended for two years and imposed what he called onerous and burdensome conditions'.

He said Coutts would be under supervision for two years, imposed a six month drug rehabilitation requirement and told him he must complete other programmes.

"You have now got an opportunity, an opportunity perhaps you have never had in the past and my not get again," he told him.