Notts burglar tells judge: “I’ll not let you down.”

Carl Walters was due to be sentenced for burgling a shared house in Faraday Road, Lenton, last year.

At a previous hearing in September last year, a court heard how the university notes and an HP Pavilion laptop were never recovered and he used a stolen credit card at different shops.

Walters, 48, of Lincoln Street, Old Basford, pleaded guilty to burglary and false representation.

The court previously heard he had been released from a custodial sentence and had been out for days when a friend suddenly passed away. Both his mother and father died within months of one another.

He was struggling financially when he committed the burglary.

Judge Timothy Spencer QC deferred sentencing for six months on condition Walters stayed offence-free, sought employment, and remained drug-free.

On Thursday, Digby Johnson, mitigating, said Walters had been keeping appointments with the probation service, but had tested positive for cannabis, amphetamine and cocaine, on one occasion.

“There is still an issue with cannabis,” he told the court via Skype. “He is in receipt of benefits.”

Judge Spencer said: “I would be happier if you had a job and you were drug free, but you are making a lot of progress.

“Can you hack a suspended sentence? If you can't you had better say so now.

“If you can’t hack it I will sentence you now and you will start with a clean slate.”

He imposed a 12 month sentence for the burglary, with four months to run concurrently for the credit card offence, but he suspended the sentence for two years.

The judge also imposed six rehabilitation days to help Walters with his drugs issue.

“Any breach is reserved to me,” he told Walters. “It’s not going to be easy. If you let yourself down you won't get this type of mercy.

Speaking via Facetime, on his barrister’s iphone, Walters said: “I’ll not let you down.”