AN EVESHAM man has been jailed for four months after carrying out a spate of thefts to fund his drug addiction.
Dean Reeve, of Trinity Close in Fairfield, pleaded guilty to three charges of theft from shops when he appeared at Worcester Magistrates Court on Friday (March 4).
The court heard the 32-year-old stole two pairs of designer sunglasses worth £274 from Specsavers on August 23, two bottles of Gold Digger aftershave worth £9.98 from Savers on November 14 and two packets of Gillette Proglide razors worth £40 from Tesco on November 15.
Lesley Ashton, prosecuting, said Reeve had gone into Savers on November 14 last year and staff noticed he had a bulge under his jacket.
“They then checked the stock, those goods have not been recovered,” he added.
Lesley Ashton also said Reeve had gone into Tesco on Worcester Road a day later – on November 15 – where staff monitored him on the CCTV screens as he made his way to the check-outs with two packets of razors which he had put in his coat before leaving without paying.
“He was then cornered by staff and told police, if successful he would have sold them to fund his heroin addiction.”
The court also heard from the prosecution how Reeve entered Specsavers and stole two pairs of sunglasses, making no attempt to pay.
“In an interview with police, he said he went through a difficult time with his divorce and his head was all over the place.”
In February last year, Reeve had been given a six-week sentence suspended for 12 months for theft. He breached a community order and curfew in November so the sentence was extended to 18 months.
Barrie Newton, defending, said: “He had a relationship breakdown but is now in a stable relationship.
“He has since complied with all requirements between offending.”
Jailing Reeve for 16 weeks, chair of the bench John Taylor said: “You were placed on eight separate sentences for two weeks at a time.
“You breached that and committed an offence in the 18 months.
“So we will activate the original sentence.”
He was handed three-week sentences for the theft of the aftershave and razors and a six-week one for taking the sunglasses.
They will all run concurrently, meaning he will serve 16 weeks in total.
He was also ordered to pay £9.98 for the aftershave, £274 compensation and a victim surcharge of £80.
