A FORMER junkie from Newport with an "appalling record" for house-breaking has had his sentence cut on appeal by top judges.

Dennis McGurgan, 37, has "one of the worst records one will come across", his solicitor, Hillary Roberts, told judges at London's criminal appeal court.

McGurgan, of Old Barn Estate, Newport, pleaded guilty to four burglaries and was sentenced to six years in jail at Cardiff Crown Court on March 22 this year.

He was also recalled to prison to complete part of a sentence for which he was still on licence, making his total sentence seven years and 266 days.

But Mr Justice Forbes cut that to six years after hearing that McGurgan had come off drugs and become a changed character while in prison.

The judge, sitting with Mr Justice Fulford, told the court how during August and September last year McGurgan broke into four houses.

On one occasion the house was occupied by a sleeping couple who awoke to find him rifling through their things.

But Mr Roberts argued that his client should be given a shorter sentence as he had had a "genuine change of attitude towards his criminality" after becoming clean of drugs.

Mr Justice Forbes agreed and cut his term, saying: "Although the court below was right to impose the sentence at the time, six months later, we have had a chance to reflect on his behaviour and attitude since then.

"As an act of mercy, because of his undoubted efforts to address his behaviour and because he is trying seemingly genuinely to address his criminality, a modest reduction in his sentence is in order."