Burglar sentenced to community detention was so intoxicated he could not recall his crimes

Counsel Alix Bligh said her client's offending was opportunistic and he felt "embarrassed".

A man who burgled two student flats in one night was so intoxicated he did not remember most of his misdeeds, a court has heard.

On the night of September 24 last year, Thomas Bridgman was partying at a flat on Hyde St with some friends.

The occupants were heading out so Bridgman and his group were told to leave.

"You returned when you knew they would be away," Judge Joanna Maze said at his sentencing in the Dunedin District Court yesterday.

Bridgman and his associates entered the flat through an unlocked door and removed a couple of gaming consoles and accessories and several laptops.

Later that night, Bridgman entered a flat on Leith St through an unlocked door.

From one of the bedrooms he took a laptop, vape, bluetooth speaker, ear pods and some personal items.

One of the flat's residents discovered Bridgman on his way out of the room.

After a scuffle with some of the female occupants, he lost his cap but was able to make a break for it.

Counsel Alix Bligh said her client's offending was opportunistic and he felt "embarrassed".

He had given up alcohol and drugs, and was keen for rehabilitation to address his misuse of them, she told Judge Maze.

He had cut off all ties to the associates involved.

"[The victims] being students, the value of the goods taken is high. They did not have insurance and being out of pocket for significant sums is not something they should have to bear," the judge said.

It would be some time before Bridgman would be able to pay the reparation of more than $5000 to the victims at his proposed rate of $60 a week.

She acknowledged the motivation for his offending was to feed an addiction but that he did show he wanted to address that.

Other than the two charges of burglary, Bridgman was also charged for theft of petrol and a breach of bail.

Judge Maze sentenced him to six months' community detention and 12 months' supervision.

She ordered him to pay the $5765 reparation, as well as $60 reparation for the theft.