Barry Phillip Rose, 32, of Adina Crescent, set off a security alarm when he broke into ARB 4x4 Accessories and stole $300 in cash from the register on December 11, 2020.

According to information presented to the court, the Cameron Place business was locked and the alarm was set when Rose forced open a ground floor window at the front of the premises at 2.08am. He set off the alarm and fled the scene before security arrived seven minutes later.

Rose was captured on CCTV climbing through the window and his fingerprints were found on the window pane and an iPhone box he had removed from a desk draw and dropped next to the cash register drawer.

Rose was arrested at his home on December 24.

"It was to buy Christmas presents for my daughter," Rose told the police.

Solicitor Gerry Stapleton said Rose instructed him that he had no money to buy the presents himself.

"He says there's [been] no contact with family members since he's been locked up," Mr Stapleton said.

Magistrate David Day gave Rose a 12-month jail sentence with a nine-month non-parole period back-dated to when he went into custody on Christmas Eve.

He could be released on parole on September 23 this year.

Mr Day said Rose was on parole at the time of the theft and he had convictions for similar offences in the ACT and served time in jail for a break and enter in 2017.

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: