Corey James Hall was handed a sentence of three years and six months behind bars in the Downing Centre District Court in Sydney on Thursday afternoon, after he used a stolen car to force his way into Country Auctions in Nemingha in the early hours of April 26.

Judge Richard Cogswell ordered the 20-year-old to pay compensation of $18,656 to the business, to cover the damage bill left after the incident, as well as some of the items that were stolen and have not been recovered.

In handing down the sentence, Judge Cogswell indicated the sentence for the ram-raid would have been one of five years, but Hall received a discount for an early guilty plea and providing assistance to police as part of their investigation.

Hall pleaded guilty to two counts of aggravated breaking-and-entering in company, after he broke into a friend’s Larool St home earlier in the night, stole his mate’s blue Holden Commodore and used it in the ram-raid, on Armidale Rd. 

But the offences were aggravated because he was on a good behaviour bond and also conditional bail at the time.

Hall was arrested by Tamworth Target Action Group officers in May and has been behind bars since.

During a sentencing hearing earlier this month in Tamworth, the court heard the ram-raid was “spontaneous” but Hall had planned to commit some offence by getting hoodies, beanies and gloves before breaking into the friend’s house.

His solicitor had told the court that Hall was a young man “who drinks too much and behaves badly”.

Judge Cogswell imposed a non-parole period of one year and nine months from July, meaning Hall won’t be eligible for parole until April 2017.

On Tuesday, Dylan Steven Lake pleaded guilty in court to the ram-raid and breaking into his mate’s house, before jumping in a stolen car, driven by Hall and used in the ram-raid.

Lake remains on Supreme Court bail and will be sentenced in Tamworth District Court in December.