A REPEAT offender from Portland with a ‘disgraceful record of previous convictions’ has been placed behind bars.

Shane Peter Smith was jailed for two years for breaking into a Weymouth home and stealing a safe, bank cards and a knife.

Smith, aged 21, was also sentenced to 14 days in prison for punching his mother in the face and grabbing his pregnant sister by the throat and pushing her on to a chair.

Dorchester Crown Court was told that Smith, formerly of Weston Street, Portland, was in breach of a conditional discharge and had 19 convictions for 29 offences.

Judge Roger Jarvis said: “For your age, you have a disgraceful record of previous convictions.

“When one considers the record, one can see that the court has treated you with a variety of sanctions and the majority of them have been unsuccessful.”

Prosecutor Desmond Duffy said Smith burgled a house in Canberra Road, Weymouth, during the day on May 21 by climbing on a bin and entering through a conservatory window.

He took an electronic safe containing a kitchen knife and was arrested after a member of the public saw him dumping the items into the River Wey at Nottington that afternoon, Mr Duffy added.

Police attended the scene and arrested Smith, the court was told.

Smith had a row with his mum Diane late in the evening the next day after he had been drinking, the court was told.

Mr Duffy said: “Mr Smith was in an argumentative mood and was told to calm down.

“He responded to that by calling Mrs Smith a bad mother.

“She asked him to leave at about 11.40pm and he continued to be argumentative.

“He reached over and punched his mother in the face with a clenched right fist.”

The court was told that Mrs Smith felt a short sharp shock and was crying, and then felt her son kick her in the leg on the left shin.

Mr Duffy said that Smith then attached his pregnant sister Stacey.

“He grabbed her round the throat and held it there for five seconds.

“She felt it was difficult to breathe.

“The assault culminated in Mr Smith pushing her backwards and she fell on to the chair.”

Smith pleaded guilty to a charge of burglary, two counts of battery and to breaching a conditional discharge.

David Stern, in mitigation, said Smith burgled the house to take back £120 he claimed he was owed by one of the occupants.

Smith, who has been remanded in custody since May, was given a two year sentence for the burglary, 14 days for the two charges of battery and eight weeks for breaching a conditional discharge, to run concurrently.