Shoplifter risked prison by stealing from stores in Mansfield and Sutton

Steven Wain admitted stealing £125 of fragrances from Sainsbury's, on Nottingham Road, Mansfield, on October 30, and returning the next day to take bluetooth speakers worth £272.

On November 16 he turned up at the B&Q warehouse, on Mansfield Road, Sutton, and was caught before he could make off with £109 of DIY items including a junior hacksaw, sealant and an electronic measuring device.

Magistrates in Mansfield heard the thefts put him in breach of an 18-month sentence, suspended for two years, which was imposed at Nottingham Magistrates Court, in June last year, and sent him to Nottingham Crown Court, where he appeared on Thursday.

The sentence related to the burglary of a hotel in Beeston, in which Wain and another man stole tools and building equipment, some time between August 23 and 26, in 2019.

Chris Brewin, mitigating, said since the thefts Wain "has done everything he can to tackle his drug addiction", by working with Addaction, a charity which helps people stop misusing drink and drugs, and starting a methadone programme.

He had found a job in the Huthwaite area, reconciled with his partner, and was starting to re-establish a relationship with his two children.

The Recorder of Nottingham, Judge Gregory Dickinson QC, told Wain shop theft was a "frustrating and expensive" offence because the cost was passed on to customers.

But he decided not to activate the sentence because of the mitigation he’d heard, and the nature of the thefts.

"In the last few months you have made some real progress," he said.

"This proves you can lead a constructive and law-abiding life."

Wain, 42, of King Street, Pinxton, received a two month sentence, suspended for 14 months, and 50 days of unpaid work.

The new order will run alongside the existing suspended sentence.

He must also pay £397 compensation to Sainsbury's.

Judge Dickinson told him: "Be in no doubt. Commit any further offences at any level and it's almost inevitable that the sentence will be activated in full."

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