Telford Poppy Appeal box thief sent to prison

A Telford man has been jailed for eight months for a series of thefts including the snatching of a Poppy Appeal collection box from the town's hospital.

Steven Slezak was captured by CCTV cameras hiding the charity box under his clothes as he left the Princess Royal Hospital on November 10 the day before Armistice Day, Telford magistrates heard yesterday.

Magistrates were told it was one of a number of opportunist thefts by 36-year-old Slezak to feed his drug addiction.

He had also stolen an NSPCC charity box from a supermarket and a purse and cash from a leisure centre, the court heard.

Slezak, of Nightingale Way, Leegomery, admitted three thefts and was yesterday jailed for four months for each one, to run concurrently. He was also given a four- month sentence, to run consecutively, for the theft of a purse from Madeley Baptist Church in October 2009.

The court heard Slezak was in breach of a supervision order imposed for the church theft. Slezak also had the theft of wine and bacon from a supermarket taken into consideration.

Miss Katie Price, prosecuting, said Slezak had been identified as the thief from CCTV images in all of the incidents. She said that on November 10 Slezak had stolen the Poppy Appeal box, which belonged to the Royal British Legion.

He had distracted a volunteer at the cafe at the Princess Royal Hospital and cut the string securing the box to the counter, she said.

On September 1 Slezak was at the Madeley Leisure Centre and was caught on camera leaning over the reception desk to steal a purse and iPhone worth £450, she told magistrates.

Miss Price said that two weeks later Slezak was seen on CCTV at the Spar Shop in Leegomery picking up a green NSPCC collection box from the counter and concealing it under his jacket before leaving the store.

"No value can be put on the thefts from the two charities as the only person who knows how much money was taken is the defendant," said Miss Price.

Mr Steven Meredith, for Slezak, said his client had shown genuine remorse when questioned by police and had apologised and said that he was ashamed.

By Arthur Mills