A Pinehurst man who burgled a nightclub nearly two years ago may escape a custodial sentence.

Leroy Johnstone had failed to answer bail in February last year after his fingerprints were found following a break-in at the offices of Destiny and Desire.

But despite the 21-year-old being part of a gang which searched desk drawers for keys to the safe, magistrates have adjourned for reports assessing him for a community based punishment.

Rob Welling, prosecuting, told the court that shortly before 2am on Saturday, November 30, 2002, three men entered the staff area of the Harding Street club.

He said that after getting through two locked doors the raiders found themselves in the office area where the safes are kept.

"They searched desk drawers looking for keys to the safes and damaged the CCTV systems to facilitate their entry and so not get caught," he said.

"But one piece of CCTV footage showed three men behind a glass partition and fingerprints left behind revealed one of the men to be Mr Johnstone."

Mr Welling told the court "The seriousness of the matter is not the amount but because of the intent."

He said all that was taken in the raid was a denim jacket worth £35 though damage to the value of £365 was caused to the club.

Johnstone, of Acacia Road, Pinehurst, pleaded guilty to a charge of burglary.

Tony Nowogrodzki, defending, said that his client had been out of trouble since 1994 and remembered little from the night of the offence.

"It is difficult for him as someone had given him an ecstasy tablet while he was in the Litten Tree pub," he said.

He said his client was a hard working young man who puts in foundations, taking home about £300 a week and living with his grandmother.

"He is devastated at the moment as his best friend Matthew was killed in a car crash in Pinehurst," he said.

Magistrates adjourned the matter for pre-sentence reports at a community level.

Tamash Lal