Kirkby steam mop thief jailed

Mark Bedder admitted stealing food worth £37, on February 6, and meat worth £150, on February 23, from the Co-Op on Chapel Street, as well as the £99 mops from Aldi, on February 27 and 28.

Bedder, 31, of Glenside, also admitted failing to attend court on March 29, when he appeared at Mansfield Magistrates Court on Wednesday.

The thefts put him in breach of a community order, from February 2015, for harassment, and suspended sentences for dishonesty, from March and December 2016, the court heard.

Donna Pursglove, mitigating, said Bedder had relapsed into crack cocaine and heroin misuse over the last few months, and suffered from back pain because of a road traffic accident.

Arguing that he should not be returned to prison, she said: “We know that there are many, many drugs in prison and the help that people used to get is no longer there.

“There is no real assistance to help them when they go back into the community.”

She said he had an opportunity to leave the area with his partner and start afresh.

Cheryl Nisbet, of the probation service, said Bedder’s engagement had been “unsatisfactory” as he had only completed one hour of the 100 hours of unpaid work imposed.

“He is on three court orders and continues to offend,” she said. “I’m afraid there is nothing more we can suggest.”

Magistrates jailed Bedder for 16 weeks, activating the two suspended sentences and adding a week for each of the new offences.

He was ordered to pay a £115 victim surcharge, but no compensation.