An Albion Park Rail man who carried out a series of property crimes at the start of the year has told a court he was in such a "drug blur" at the time that he can't remember much of the month of January.
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Caden Macpherson issued a heartfelt apology to all his victims in Wollongong District Court on Wednesday, despite revealing he has little memory of what he actually did.
"I'm very sorry to those people, that community," he said.
"It's not just the person affected its the community as a whole. I can't say how sorry I am."
Macpherson told the court he'd been taking a cocktail of heroin and Xanax pills in the days and weeks before he broke into a home in Farmborough Heights in mid-January by throwing a car battery through a rear glass door, smashing it to pieces.
The 64-year-old homeowner was asleep in the house at the time, however he later told police he initially thought the sound was one of his sons, both of whom were asleep in separate rooms in the house at the time.
Macpherson stole a set of headphones, a poker case and some keys from the home and walked outside.
Another loud sound alerted the homeowner, who got up and saw Macpherson standing next to one of the vehicles. When he realised he'd been spotted, Macpherson ran from the scene.
Meanwhile, Macpherson stole a white Mercedes from a worksite in Unanderra and drove towards Berkeley, but abandoned the car in the middle of an intersection, later telling police he didn't know how to operate the electronics inside the vehicle.
Macpherson was arrested at a nearby house and taken to Lake Illawarra Police Station.
He admitted taking the car, then confessed to the earlier break-in, along with two other minor property offences.
Macpherson was charged with a host of offences, and has since pleaded guilty to charges of aggravated break and enter, break and enter, entering land with intent and stealing a car.
In court on Friday, he was at a loss to explain his actions other than to blame his drug-taking.
"I was on Xanax - Xanax is a drug where you black in and out of consciousness," he said.
"I had money in my pockets I was doing okay, I don't know why [I did it]....I'm not too sure, all I know is I m deeply sorry for these offences.
"You sit in here and you have time to reflect....as soon as I'm drug free, I realise how bad those crimes are."
Macpherson told the court he'd been clean while he was in custody but wanted to undergo a residential rehabilitation program.
"Full time rehab is the best thing for me to do," he said.
Judge Andrew Haesler agreed to adjourn the proceedings to give Macpherson the chance to apply for a position in a drug treatment program.
The matter will return to court before November 26.
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