Parental neglect easily led Robinson into the use of the drug ice by the time he was a 12-year-old living in Bourke.

By 13 he was smoking marijuana.

Judge Lerve, who often deals with cases from Bourke in far western NSW while sitting in Dubbo District Court, knows the scenario well.

“Bourke is a community where, regrettably, deprivation and exposure to drugs, alcohol and domestic violence in formative years is common,” Judge Lerve said.

The post-traumatic stress, depression and anxiety demons that infected Robinson even as a teenager travelled with him to Young where he hatched a ham-fisted plot with two other men to drive to Monteagle and steal cannabis from a house occupied by a middle-aged couple.

Robinson obtained the target address and about 2.30am on August 10, 2014, he arrived there with one man driving the car and another man who jumped a high colourbond fence and tried to force his way through the front door with the couple pushing against the other side.

Eventually, the trio fled the scene empty handed and were arrested in Young.

Robinson, 27, pleaded guilty to attempted break and enter to commit a serious indictable offence (larceny) on the day of his trial was to start last month.

The court heard Robinson’s DNA was found on a torch dropped as he fled the crime scene.

Robinson’s barrister, Michael King, put to Judge Lerve on Tuesday his client played a lesser role than the man who pushed against the door while armed with a piece of metal from playground equipment.

“He never stepped foot on the property,” said Mr King, while conceding the incident would have been frightening for the victims.

Crown advocate Andrew Lynch called for full-time jail for Robinson, saying the crime was too serious for a suspended sentence.

Judge Lerve agreed and gave Robinson a head sentence of 18 months, backdated to when he went into custody on May 22 this year.

The judge took into account Robinson’s special circumstances, including Robinson’s relatively young age, his significant need for supervision and the fact it is his first time in custody, to set a longer than usual parole period of 10 months.

Robinson will be freed on January 21.