Shrewsbury vape thief who targeted shop while serving suspended sentence avoids jail
A thief who stole a number of vape pens from a mobile phone shop while on a suspended prison sentence has been spared jail.
Eugene Cantillon, 46, of High Street, Market Drayton, had previously admitted stealing from The Phone Shop in Pride Hill on November 21, 2022, when he appeared at Shrewsbury crown Court on Wednesday.
Prosecutor, Ms Suzanne Francis KC, told the court that the window was smashed in three places and that Cantillon was one of three men seen on CCTV reaching in and stealing vapes.
She said: "There were three impact points on glass window and the defendant used a hole to put his arm through to take the vapes but the crown accepts he was not the one who smashed the window."
She said the stolen vapes had a value of £120-£150.
The court heard that Cantillon had five previous convictions for 11 offences and had stolen the vapes while on a suspended sentence for possession of a bladed article.
But Judge Peter Barrie said the defendant had made "good progress" with the probation service since his arrest and added it was only "proper" that the charge was dealt with by a community order.
But he said: "I do have to mark the seriousness of the offence of that kind and committing the offence during a suspended sentence."
He ordered Cantillon be handed a community order for 12 months, which is to include days rehabilitation activity with the probation service, and he also extended his previous suspended sentence until December 5 this year.
He said: "While I don't activate the sentence today you remain at risk until December 5 if you commit any other offence."
