A man has been sentenced to jail after a woman woke up in her Wagga home to find her ex-partner in the room.
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Shaun Patrick Coughlin, 34, appeared in Wagga Local Court on Wednesday via video link after pleading guilty to enter a building to commit an indictable offence (larceny) and destroy or damage property (domestic violence related).
Public defender Christine Mendes confirmed that as the Kooringal man had pleaded guilty straight away to these offences the prosecution had agreed to drop the more serious charge of aggravated break and enter with intent.
Coughlin had been in a relationship with the victim for nine months, during which he had left a motorcycle at her home.
On August 27 the victim and Coughlin broke up, but the motorcycle remained in her garage, and the pair discussed the return of the property.
On August 29, the victim fell asleep with the light on but was woken at 3.40am by noises. The victim soon realised that her bedroom door was open, and Coughlin was inside looking at her.
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The victim phoned emergency services and walked to the garage only to find the internal door was open and that the motorcycle was missing, and the garage door was damaged.
Police arrested Coughlin on August 31.
Ms Mendes asked the court to consider his early plea of guilty but acknowledged that Coughlin was on an intensive correction order that had since been revoked.
"The primary motivation for the offender being present was to have his motorbike," she said.
"No doubt it would have been frightening for his former partner to wake up and find him in the room."
Ms Mendes said Coughlin had struggled with an addiction to the "nefarious substance ice", but he has taken steps to deal with the problem.
He had remained in contact with the Calvary rehabilitation program since November.
Ms Mendes asked that his sentence start from when he was taken into custody last year.
Magistrate Christopher Halburd said Coughlin did not have a record that entitled him to any leniency but acknowledged his early plea.
"The defendant, it would seem, is remorseful for his conduct," he said.
"The defendant has acknowledged on the last occasion he was before the court he was given some leniency, and he abused that."
Magistrate Halburd handed down a sentence of 12 months in jail, with a non-parole period of seven months. Coughlin is eligible for release on July 11.
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