Michael Dos Santos Moreira (41) pleaded guilty to two charges of common larceny in addition to the more serious charge of breaking and entering and larceny.
The court heard that Moreira went on a ‘Valium binge’ on 22 May and stole a mobile phone from the Co-op’s Grand Marché store and £192 worth of perfume from Boots in St Helier.
The following day, the court heard, he broke into a home in St John’s Road using a partially open window. When the occupants returned, they found their home disturbed and among the items taken were cash, medicine, a pair of Adidas blue-suede trainers and jewellery, including two family heirloom wedding rings of ‘tremendous sentimental value’ and a charm bracelet worth over £2,000.
Moreira was arrested on 24 May on an unrelated matter and police found the stolen mobile phone on his bed. Later they discovered the Adidas trainers he wore to prison had been stolen during the St John’s Road break-in.
The occupants of the house had found Moreira’s discarded trainers in their bins.
Crown Advocate Conrad Yates, prosecuting, noted that Moreira has an extensive criminal record and was known to be a drug addict.
The court heard that he had suffered a bad head injury at the age of 19 and then had a stroke three years later which left him with poor memory recall and other challenges.
He told the police that at the time of the offences he was ‘off his head on vallies’, which he had been taking ‘like Smarties’.
According to background reports, he started taking heroin at 17 and then began taking Subutex, a high-strength opioid painkiller. The court heard he has opioid dependent syndrome and has trouble abstaining from drugs due to his inability to deal with stress.
The Crown asked that the court consider a sentence of three years and three months.
However, Advocate Michael Haines, defending, asked the court to consider a shorter sentence of two years and six months.
Moreira’s life has been a ‘tragedy in every sense’, Advocate Haines told the court. Adding that his client had had a troubled childhood, disrupted education and was placed in Les Chênes residential home as a teenager, after which he developed his drug problems.
‘When in crisis, he hits an insurmountable emotional wall,’ Advocate Haines said. ‘He cannot cope emotionally and will block it all out with a binge.’
When he committed the offences, Moreira was ‘sofa-surfing’ and had just split up with his partner.
Advocate Haines said Moreira had a ‘genuine wish’ to change, but had been unable to follow through with his desire to reform his life. He told the court the break-in was ‘an opportunistic crime’, which was not planned.
Issuing the court’s sentence, Deputy Bailiff Tim Le Cocq noted the effect house break-ins have on victims.
‘We fully understand the trauma and sense of violation they have experienced and the effects on them will be long lasting,’ he said.
Moreira was given a three-year sentence on the breaking-and-entering charge and concurrent two-month sentences on each of the common larceny charges.
