Mansfield drug addict stole from mum when she put him up while he was homeless

Craig Taylor turned up in the early hours of March 8, 2022, and was allowed to sleep in one bedroom on condition he didn't disturb anyone else, Nottingham Crown Court has heard.

Prosecutor Rawaid Javed said he walked out without saying goodbye on March 10, and his mum discovered six Nintendo games were missing. CCTV recorded Taylor selling them for £112 shortly afterwards.

The 36-year-old entered a YMCA property in Sutton on May 25, 2022, even though he was banned from all YMCA premises, and kicked a locked bedroom door in two, which had to be replaced at cost of £400.

He also stole a television set from the same address on August 20, 2021, Mr Javed added.

In a victim impact statement his mum asked for him to be given a second chance.

Judge Michael Auty KC said he has 24 previous convictions for "a rich tapestry of different offences" and "has the record of a longstanding drug addict."

Lauren Fisher, mitigating, said Taylor's strongest mitigation was his early cooperation.

Nottingham Crown Court heard he was jailed for 18 weeks in November 2022 but he has been out of custody for a year.

Save for one possession of mamba, he has stayed out of trouble and has been free of heroin for around five weeks, she said.

“He realises every time he commits an offence he puts himself in the precarious position of custody.”

Taylor, care of Butler Crescent, Mansfield, admitted dwelling theft, burglary, possession of a class B drug and criminal damage when he appeared at Mansfield Magistrates Court in July 2022.

On Tuesday Judge Auty told him: "You couldn't complain for a moment if I sent you straight to prison today. People are tired of burglars and burglary.

“You know the loss of a vulnerable person's television will hit them hard as they don't have very much in the first place.”

But he also noted Taylor hasn’t committed any further offences of dishonesty for some time. He imposed an 18 month prison term, suspended for two years, with 20 rehabilitation days and 31-day thinking skills programme.