An elderly woman at Dubbo found strangers in her kitchen who had smashed their way into her house while she was out.
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The males helped themselves to soft drinks and wine before they fled when the victim returned - but the DNA and fingerprints that remained were the undoing of one of the offenders.
Bradley Moore, 31, was arrested this month and in Dubbo Local Court he pleaded guilty to breaking, entering and stealing at the Crown Street house.
On the afternoon of March 6, the elderly woman left her home after ensuring the doors and windows were locked.
Sometime before 9.10pm Moore and an unknown person smashed their way through the sewing room window at the rear of the house, court documents show.
In doing so they broke the top of the sewing cabinet and ornaments. Once inside the pair conducted a search of the premises.
They turned their attention to the kitchen, eating a number of ice creams.
About 9.10pm the victim returned home and after unlocking and entering the hallway, she heard a number of voices coming from the kitchen area.
"We better get out of here," court documents show the woman heard one of the males say.
Fearing for her safety she backed out of the house and went to her neighbours, and police were called.
The victim was unable to identify any property stolen other than the food items consumed.
Forensic police examined two open cans of soft drink and three open bottles of wine, and DNA belonging to Moore was found on a swab from a creamy soda can.
Fingerprints belonging to the 31-year-old were located on two pieces of glass removed from the point of entry.
Police were patrolling the Apollo Estate area on May 5 when they saw Moore and placed him under arrest for outstanding warrants.
During Moore's appearance before a magistrate, Dubbo Local Court heard he was also facing charges in connection to unrelated offences at Mount Colah in northern Sydney and in the mid-north coast region of NSW.
The Dubbo matter and a charge of break-and-enter and intend to commit serious indictable offence at Mount Colah, to which Moore is yet to enter a plea, were adjourned to Central Local Court on May 13.
Moore is to face Port Macquarie Local Court via audiovisual link in June for reply to a brief of evidence for break and enter house with intent and entering a vehicle without consent of the owner in the mid-north coast region. There was no application for bail.
