The judge had hoped a suspended jail sentence would be the second chance the offender needed to veer away from a life of drugs and crime and find "something useful to do" rather than burgle houses.
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"I do hope that we will not see you again," he'd said.
Five years later, Dylan Dugdale returned to the ACT Supreme Court to learn his fate for more than 50 fresh offences stemming from a drug-fuelled burglary spree over four weeks in February and March.
His wave of offending prompted a different judge, Justice Michael Elkaim, to recall his colleague's hopes for the man before the court and to observe: "It is obvious the offender found nothing else useful to do."
Instead, Justice Elkaim found Dugdale, 25, was "effectively an experienced criminal with little prospect of rehabilitation" before he jailed him for four years, with a non-parole period of two years and six months.
Dugdale was high on drugs and barely remembered breaking into numerous homes and Evatt Primary School, nabbing a haul that included a car, wedding rings, jewellery, a blood-pressure monitor and bank cards.
He faced 52 charges that took in 13 burglaries, 18 frauds, thefts and driving offences that affected 27 sets of victims.
"This might be regarded as a crime spree, in which the offender abandoned all semblance of lawful behaviour and did his best to take property belonging to other people," Justice Elkaim said.
The judge said Dugdale's ice and cannabis use didn't excuse his conduct, but took into account he had been exposed to drugs from a young age and had three siblings who influenced his criminal behaviour.
He said a lenient approach hadn't worked in the past, noting his extensive criminal history, and acknowledged each burglary and theft in the most recent spree had been "very serious" to each victim
Justice Elkaim noted the emotional and financial burden on the residents, detailed in victim impact statements read in court during a sentence hearing earlier this week.
Residents of one north Canberra house, who worked at the United States embassy, said they felt "shocked and violated" someone had entered their property and stolen their car and possessions.
They had also lost hundreds of family photos stored on a camera that was taken.
"Until that day we had felt very safe living in Canberra," the victim had written.
"Sadly my children were home when this occurred and have since been scared and upset over what has happened."
Another victim said she would never forget the fear and paranoia she felt the night of the break-in and said no-one deserved to feel unsafe in his or her home.
"The fear that the perpetrator would return while I was in the house continues to plague me.
"You've stolen a lot more than my personal belongings, you've stolen my sense of security and my peace of mind and this is not something that can be monetarily recompensed."
The judge ordered Dugdale pay more than $5000 in reparations spread among five victims.
He knocked back a claim from NRMA for $5000 in reparations, which the insurer had paid to one victim, saying it was "part of the very business of an insurance company to make payments of this type".
Dugdale, who has been in custody since March, will be eligible for parole in September 2019.
