He found it too, in the form of a wayward teenage friend and a stupid decision that would land both of them behind bars; Johnson for the second time in as many years.

The 21-year-old and his young friend, who can't be named because he was a juvenile at the time, targeted a home on Osborne Parade at Warilla, gaining access to the house around 3am through a closed but unlocked door.

Johnson went into one of the bedrooms, where the male occupant was sleeping, and picked up a mobile phone beside the bed.

The man woke up, saw Johnson and jumped up, chasing him out of the house.

He returned to discover the juvenile still in the kitchen, prompting the boy to flee as well.

Police arrived and got a description of the pair, later asking road workers along Shellharbour Road if they had seen the duo.

The workers said two people matching the descriptions had run down the road and were hiding in the front yard of one of the houses along the street.

Police eventually arrested the pair.

During Johnson's sentencing hearing in the District Court on Thursday, Judge Paul Conlon said victims of such crimes could experience long-lasting psychological trauma from their ordeal.

"Some never feel safe in their own homes again," he said.

"The seriousness of this offence lies in the fact that entry was gained in the middle of the night, knowing that people were most likely asleep inside. And rather than stay away from where they were sleeping, this offender goes into the bedroom."

The court heard Johnson was jailed in March 2013 over a home invasion the previous year and had been out of jail for a little over two months when he broke into the Warilla house.

However, defence lawyer Laura Fennell asked the court to consider Johnson's behaviour in the context of his traumatic upbringing, which had included serious neglect by his parents, exposure to "horrendous" acts of domestic violence and constant drug and alcohol abuse.

Johnson went to live with his grandparents in his early teens, however returned to his father's house at the age of 16 and fell into a life of drugs and petty crime, even foregoing an offer to sign on with the Gold Coast Titans rugby league team despite his prowess for the game.

Judge Conlon said it was obvious Johnson's shocking childhood experiences and subsequent drug addiction had affected his life greatly, and his chances of rehabilitation depended on him kicking his drug habit and dealing with pain from his youth.

He sentenced Johnson to a minimum 17 months' jail, plus an additional 13 months on parole.

With time already served, Johnson will be released in December this year.