Daniel Nixon of Lunar Avenue in Dubbo was placed on a suspended jail sentence for 12 months in Orange Local Court on Thursday for a robbery in Byng Street and one in Dubbo. 

Nixon’s solicitor Bob Lulham said Nixon had been going through a traumatic time because of the death of his father.

Magistrate, Terry Lucas, sentenced him to a 12 months suspended sentence for the robberies in November and July last year, which meant if he committed a crime in the next year he would go to jail. 

“These are two very serious matters ... the pre-sentence report says the court can give you some help,” he said. 

Mr Lulham said his client would benefit from some supervision by correction services to help get his life back on track. 

In November, Nixon stole about $6,000 worth of electronics from a townhouse in Byng Street including an iPad, iPhones, PlayStations, a television and laptops.

None of the equipment was insured and none of it had been recovered despite Nixon telling officers he was remorseful for what he had done and would endeavour to return the stolen items. 

Police attended the crime scene and took fingerprint samples from a door frame which matched the 25-year-old. 

When he was arrested he told police the theft was all his friends’ idea.

“My fingerprints were on the gauze screen, weren’t they?”

The first break-in occurred in Dubbo on July 30 where a woman had come home to find Nixon trying to rip the roller door to her garage off in an attempt to escape the house. 

Witnesses saw the man running off and a neighbour took a photo of the car he used to escape the scene. 

Police tracked the car to Nixon and matched his fingerprints with those at the scene.