Clifford John Ah See, 44, of Kenna Street, had more than a year left of his parole, when he broke into a house and a shop in November.

According to police he broke into Trang Hue Vietnamese Catering in Summer Street overnight on November 16.

It was suspected that he used a key that was believed to have been lost by an employee several days earlier.

He used several items, including a pair of kitchen tongs, to open the cash register and steal $400.

The break and enter and theft was captured on CCTV and Ah See's DNA was found on the tongs.

Six days later on November 22, Ah See broke into an Anson Street house and ransacked it before stealing a a Nintendo Switch, a Soundbar and a Bose Bluetooth speaker.

He broke into the house while the occupant was at work by using a rusty file and metal spike to force open a bathroom window. Police found his DNA on the metal spike.

Ah See had been in custody since he was arrested at home on December 20 and asked to be sentenced straight away.

Although solicitor Andrew Abraham initially suggested adjourning the sentence so a potentially beneficial report could be prepared, magistrate David Day said he understood why Ah See would want to proceed sooner rather than later.

"He was at the time committing offences on parole ... that will cause the parole to be reviewed and most likely revoked," Mr Day said.

"Mr Ah See really cannot help himself, which is sad."

Mr Abraham said Ah See's offending was related to his methamphetamine addiction.

"His record does not really assist him," Mr Abraham said.

"He was last in jail before his 2017 matter in 2006."

However, he said Ah See had a gap in offending between 2010 and 2015 and he had previously held down full-time work and was qualified in asbestos removal.

"In 2017 there wasn't really much time [he'd previously spent] in jail, I would submit there's some risk of institutionalisation noting that he's getting older," Mr Abraham said.

Mr Day gave Ah See two identical jail sentences of nine months, with six-month non-parole periods for the break and enters.

"He's getting a bit old for this isn't he," Mr Day said.

Ah See could be released on parole again on June 19, 2020, pending the outcome of his parole review.