Telford thief stole thousands of pounds worth of glasses

Nicholas Smith twice smashed glass windows at Vision Express, Wellington, within a week also causing damage.

In the first attack on August 21 staff arrived to discover the branch had been broken into and designer sunglasses worth £1,300 missing.

Then on August 29 they arrived to find a second window broken and 29 pairs of glasses worth £3,600 missing and the shop searched.

Mr Robert Edwards, prosecuting barrister, said Smith, 31, was identified by police following tests on blood samples found on stock bags at the premises, in Walker Street, were traced to him.

"The defendant was subsequently arrested and made full admissions to both crimes. Following the burglary on August 29 the store had to remain closed for part of the day while it was tidied up," Mr Edwards said.

Smith, a drug addict, has 80 previous convictions dating to 2003 for offences including shoplifting, making off without payment and public disorder.

In May he was given a conditional discharge for shoplifting which he breached in August and was then jailed for 12 weeks. The court heard that in October the defendant was again locked up for breaching another conditional discharge for shoplifting in Worcester.

In mitigation barrister Miss Debra Smith said: "He has been in custody for six weeks. That time in custody has allowed him to under take a detox programme. He does present himself in a clear thinking and coherent manner."

She asked that Smith, who took crack cocaine and heroin, be made subject to a community order to allow him to continue rehabilitation.

For the Vision Express offences Smith pleaded guilty to two counts of burglary with intent to steal at a previous hearing.

The defendant, of Ley Brook, Oakengates, was jailed for 24 weeks suspended for 18 months minus time spent on remand.

He was released from custody following Wednesday's hearing, but was made subject to a drug rehabilitation requirement for six months. He must attend 20 activity days with probation and attend monthly reviews before a judge at Shrewsbury Crown Court starting on December 21.

Sentencing him Judge Peter Barrie said: "This pattern of offending is consistent with long-standing problems with class A drugs.

"I don't underestimate the challenge for you, but what you do have is the time to give it your best."