A MAN from Wormley, who walked free from a court after a ram-raid on a Hindhead garage, showed "utter contempt" for the mercy he received from magistrates by carrying out an identical offence just seven days later.

It led last Friday to Matthew Kemp, 24, of Combe Lane, Wormley, being jailed for four months for burglary.

Guildford Crown Court was told that he drove his car into the window of Phillips Garage, near Chiddingfold, on the A283 Petworth Road, but when that failed to break the glass, he smashed a pane using his foot.

Patricia Lees, prosecuting, said Kemp's parents were regular customers at the garage and that he was identified and arrested through DNA from blood and fingerprints left on the counter.

Miss Lees said nothing was stolen but £133 worth of damage was caused to the window and a further cost of £115 was incurred by the owners to board up the broken pane.

Miss Lees said that Kemp had been given a rehabilitation order on July 19 last year for an identical burglary at the Total garage in Hindhead.

"Kemp and another drove into the shop window and snatched cigarettes and other items from behind the counter to the value of £1,196.

"This latest offence was committed just seven days after the rehabilitation order was imposed."

Martin Rutherford, defending, urged the court to see that Kemp was a changed man from a year ago.

He said: "This offending pattern began relatively late in his life. This matter occurred last year when the defendant was a crack cocaine addict. He was a complete and utter mess in all ways.

"The magistrates came to the same conclusion and passed a rehabilitation order but seven days later, this offence was committed.

"The Matthew Kemp of this year is very different from the man he was last year. A man who was stupid enough to burgle the garage nearest to his parents' home and well known to his parents.

"He now lives completely out of the area with his aunt and uncle in Midhurst and huge improvements are taking place in every area of his life. He is in full-time employment doing building work. Every single thing in his life is turning to a positive."

But Judge John Bull, QC, told Kemp: "The magistrates took a merciful view and made a community rehabilitation order for one year. You asked on that occasion for the magistrates to take into account no less than five other offences.

"You were given a substantial chance and you did not take it.

"I take into account your age and the fact that you were addicted to crack cocaine, but petrol filling stations very frequently incorporate shops and a full range of goods on which the public rely. They supplant post offices and supermarkets now.

"An aggravating feature is the utter contempt that you showed the magistrates by committing this further offence just seven days later.

"I am driven to the conclusion that this offence is so serious that only a custodial sentence can be justified.

"The sentence of this court is four months' imprisonment."