A Mystic woman and Uncasville man who committed a series of residential burglaries last year in the throes of their addiction to heroin were sentenced Wednesday in New London Superior Court.

Barbara D. Kuhn, 38, received a sentence of four years followed by three years of probation.

Wayne R. Malinowsky, 30, was sentenced to 52 months in prison followed by three years of probation.

Judge Kevin P. McMahon listened to arguments from Malinowsky's attorney, Denise P. Ansell, before reducing his proposed sentence of 55 months to 52 months and ordering that he be evaluated for inpatient drug treatment immediately upon his release from prison.

According to police, Kuhn and Malinowsky carried out a string of burglaries — some of them of occupied homes — in Mystic, Groton, Stonington, Waterford, Norwich and Bozrah.

Police said many of the burglaries were committed in the same fashion: There were no signs of forced entry; jewelry, electronics, tools and loose change were taken; and the homes were not ransacked or overtly disturbed.

Ansell argued that Malinowsky, who previously had been convicted of selling prescription medications and placed on probation for two years, had not received the proper medical treatment after he slipped and fell on wet grass while working as a landscaper at Mohegan Sun in 2010.

When his insurance provider refused surgery for a full two years following the injury, he became addicted to the pain medication, which was the only therapy he was offered, Ansell said.

When surgery finally was approved, it was too late, she said, and Malinowsky suffers from permanent nerve damage, a dropped foot, scoliosis and spinal stenosis. He is in constant pain, she said.

While on probation, he was ordered to attend outpatient drug treatment at the Southeastern Council on Drug and Alcohol Dependence. He consistently tested positive for drugs, Ansell said, but was not charged with a violation of probation until after he was arrested for the burglaries.

"You have lectured me and the state's attorneys in numerous pretrial (discussions) about the inadequacies of various parts of our system," the judge told Ansell. "Some of your points were well taken. He's not the only one I'm seeing."

McMahon said it isn't true that all heroin addicts start with prescription medications, but that Malinowsky probably is one of those people.

However, McMahon said, Malinowsky decided to resolve his problem by committing numerous burglaries of occupied homes.

"You may be physically harmed," the judge told Malinowsky. "But you and the defendant went into people's homes while they we occupied."

Of all the crime victims he's seen, people whose homes have been invaded are the most psychologically harmed, the judge said.

"They almost never recover," he said. "They never get back their sense of well-being and security."

Ansell said after the sentencing that she was pleased McMahon had approved the evaluation for inpatient treatment. She said Malinowsky had been willing to serve more prison time if he could get the treatment he needs.

k.florin@theday.com