Father-of-six Christopher King, who stole almost £5,000 of electrical equipment from a college, has been spared jail by a judge so he can clean up his act.

Unemployed King, 33, committed the theft shortly after being released from prison on licence where he had been serving time for another offence.

Lewes Crown Court heard yesterday King had 34 previous convictions dating back to when he was a juvenile.

King, whose youngest child is six months old, broke into City College Brighton and Hove in Pelham Street, Brighton, some time between November 30 and December 3, 2001.

Swabs were taken from cupboards and DNA recovered which matched that of King. He was arrested in September 2002.

He was charged with burglary and admitted his guilt at Brighton Magistrates Court on November 15.

Magistrates committed him to the crown court for sentence.

Judge Anthony Niblett, sentencing him, was told King, of Merrion Close, Tunbridge Wells, had been addicted to drugs and drink having grown up with both parents who were alcoholics.

The judge told King he was in a precarious position, having committed the college burglary while on licence from prison with 114 days remaining of that sentence.

He sentenced King to a two-year community rehabilitation order with two conditions that he take part in a programme to deal with his substance abuse and he remained under curfew for six months.