Clay (28), of Layton Avenue, denied entering and taking cash from Eyres Furniture, on Toothill Lane, in January 2002 after staff had closed and locked up the premises.

Mansfield Magistrates' Court was told on Thursday how police snared Clay after they found his finger prints on a pencil holder in the building.

Clay was also accused of entering a Newark antiques store in September 2006 with a woman and stealing some paintings and light fittings.

The court was told that the female shop assistant spotted them leaving and noticed goods missing from the area they had been browsing.

Clay admitted the theft to police after they again found his finger prints in the antiques store.

In mitigation, Simon King said: "He has had problems dealing with heroin but has taken many great steps since these offences were committed."

District Judge Mervyn Harris gave Clay the six-month suspended sentence for the first offence in 2002 and dished out a 12-month community order for the Newark theft –– which comprised of 100 hours' unpaid work.

Said Mr Harris: "You have come a long way in dealing with your heroin addiction, which is hard to do as we regularly see in these courts.

"You are now off the drugs, which were a real problem before and resulted in you committing similar offences in the past, and therefore you deserve another chance."