A man who stole perfume from Carlisle’s Boots a day after being spared prison for stealing from the same shop has now been jailed.
Drug addict John George Moffat, 38, was initially brought before magistrates on May 22 and sentenced for city centre shoplifting which occurred earlier this year.
Three times in four days, on February 28, March 2 and 3, Moffat went into the Boots store on English Street.
He took an £110 wash bag on February 28 and on further visits, stole gifts sets worth £209 and £140.
Moffat admitted a string of offences. These included three thefts at TK Maxx, in the nearby Market Hall, from which he fled with designer clothing. One of these crimes also occurred on February 28, when the thief was illegally equipped with a crowbar.
Magistrates gave Moffat, of South Henry Street, Carlisle, an eight-week jail term and suspended that sentence to give the defendant a chance to rehabilitate himself.
But within 24 hours he was back in trouble, a deputy district judge heard today.
At around 2pm on May 23, Moffat was back in Boots, stealing four perfume gift sets, valued at £264.
A week later, on May 30, Moffat stole two fragrance gift sets and — police learned — had also done so on February 27.
Moffat had also stolen branded garments from the Footyasylum store, Scotch Street, on April 8 and 9 by concealing them under his own clothing.
On June 1, Moffat stole five designer T-shirts worth almost £200 during another illegal visit to TK Maxx.
Moffat admitted six charges of theft, five of the offences placing him in breach of the suspended sentence order.
The court heard he was a heroin and crack cocaine addict who stole to fund his habit but was seeking support to rid himself of drugs.
Deputy district judge Paul Conlon imposed an immediate jail term totalling 16 weeks.
He also imposed a two-year criminal behaviour order, banning Moffat from an agreed list of Carlisle shops.
