A former drug addict who burgled a Keynsham home has been handed a drug rehabilitation order.

Simon Prestidge entered the detached family house in, Derwent Grove, and helped himself to a laptop computer from the dining room, Bristol Crown Court heard yesterday.

He was caught after police found his fingerprint at the scene.

Prestidge, 32, of Hotwell Road, Bristol, pleaded guilty to burglary following the raid in August, 2007. Handing him the six-month order, along with a year's supervision and education requirement, Judge Susan Darwall-Smith told him she recognised he had been given a similar order in January and she was impressed that he was making good progress on it.

Kenneth Bell, prosecuting, said Prestidge entered the home via a conservatory, grabbed the laptop and went to a bedroom – leaving muddy footprints – but stole nothing else. His fingerprint was subsequently detected on a fitted wardrobe.

Mr Bell said that when Prestidge was arrested, he told police he left the fingerprint when he had worked at the house.

The court heard he took police in a drive around to point out three further break-ins from October last year, which he asked to be taken into consideration.

Catherine Spedding, defending, said her client had spent the last decade in and out of prison.

She said he was now making positive steps to tackle his addiction and his goal was to go to college and get qualified to be a youth worker.

She told the court: "He is now drug-free and he appreciates the circumstances he has put people in. He is motivated to continue the progress he is making."

The judge received a positive letter on Prestidge's attitude from police.