Church Stretton? I'd rather go to prison, says heroin addict
A heroin addict has been jailed after he told police he would rather go back to prison than live in Church Stretton.
Lee Andrew Price, 30, was so desperate to escape the picturesque town in the Shropshire hills he called police to report his own crimes.
He followed a security guard around Waitrose on Pride Hill in Shrewsbury on Saturday and "blatantly" bagged £128 worth of goods in a bid to be arrested.
His incarceration effort was a success as he spent the weekend in the cells, before appearing at Telford Magistrates court yesterday, to be sentenced to 12 weeks behind bars after admitting shoplifting.
Price, who was unhappily living at Oakbank Motel, Cunnery Road, in Church Stretton, had breached a conditional discharge for shoplifting from September 2013.
Magistrates gave him a further 12 weeks to run concurrently so unfortunately for him he is likely to be out on licence in about six weeks.
Prosecuting, Miss Sara Beddow, said Price had told police: "I got caught on purpose. I need to go back to prison."
Dean Easthope, defending, said: "It's a sad case that this gentleman feels that this is his best course of action.
"His motivation for committing this offence was purely that he couldn't cope in the community any more.
"When he came out of prison he was housed in Stonham, Abbey Foregate.
"Then he obtained privately rented accommodation but when his landlady found out about his previous convictions she changed the locks and he was immediately homeless.
"He's a Shrewsbury lad. All his friends and family live in Shrewsbury. Everything he knows is in Shrewsbury.
"The closest he could be housed at such short notice was in Church Stretton.
"He was put into the middle of nowhere he tells me he lives in the hills in a totally alien environment.
"He's been addicted to drugs most of his life and has a methadone script and life has become intolerable for him.
"He rang up the police and said he wanted to be locked up.
"The sergeant quite helpfully told him we can't lock you up unless you've committed a crime.
He added: "He can only see a prison cell as being his respite for the next couple of weeks."
