Warwick Van Hala, 34, was sentenced to 18 months in prison when he appeared in the ACT Supreme Court on Monday.

He had only been free on bail for days before the incident on June 7, which involved him taking a total of $33 from a woman's piggy bank.

Detective First Constable Grant Bluett previously told the ACT Magistrates Court there were significant concerns surrounding Van Hala, who had been released on bail on May 29 after being arrested for two aggravated robberies.

Detective Bluett said police were called about one week later in relation to a robbery in Forrest, committed by Van Hala while a person was sleeping inside.

He said a resident arrived home to find a man standing in her driveway. He told her he was looking for a dog, before shouting a name and running away.

"When she went in, she saw several rooms had been searched," he said.

The woman reported that the contents of a piggy bank had been stolen, along with a heart rate monitor.

Van Hala's lawyer said the property was open and his client had caused no damage as part of his submissions in the ACT Supreme Court on Monday.

"It was opportunistic," he said.

"He was affected by drugs. He was looking for money for drugs."

He said his client had made no rehabilitation attempts in the past, but had requested to be recommended for residential rehabilitation when released on parole.

Chief Justice Helen Murrell agreed with the recommendation, saying that Van Hala had "very few friends" in the community and that those he had were associated with drug taking.

"He has been dependent on drugs for several decades," she said.

She said Van Hala had a "significant criminal history" which included being jailed for aggravated robbery.

Stating that "punishment is important", Chief Justice Murrell sentenced Van Hala to 18 months in prison, backdated and served concurrently with his other sentence of nine months.