A recalcitrant offender who has been given the maximum 20 years behind bars for housebreaking and theft was back to jail on Monday.

Darzuki Ombri, 59, was given the maximum 20 years' preventive detention on two housebreaking and theft charges. Another two counts were taken into consideration.

He had admitted to breaking into a house at Swiss Cottage Estate on March 10 and stealing property worth $1,699. He gained access to the house through a toilet window on the second floor.

Two weeks later, he created a hole in a partition at the back of a house at Adam Park and got away with mobile phones, tablet computers notebooks, jewellery and miscellaneous items totalling $12,600. On both occasions, he sold the electronic goods at Sungei Road and Toa Payoh.

His criminal history dates back to 1970, when he was 16 years old. He had a stint at reformative training the following year. In 1973 and 1977 he was jailed for theft. He was given preventive detention - reserved for hard-core criminals with no early release for good behaviour - in 1987 and 2001.

In February last year, he was released early on compassionate grounds but returned to his old ways a year later.