Telford thief used wire cutters to steal charity tin raising cash for children in poverty
A "persistent" thief has been jailed after stealing a charity tin, Christmas selection boxes and false eyelashes.
Shane Chick, aged 34, carried out a spate of thefts from shops in Telford in November last year, which included taking a set of wire cutters into a store to steal a Cash for Kids collection tub containing around £50 - money which was donated to benefit youngsters who have faced poverty, been abused or neglected.
Heroin addict Chick has racked up 31 convictions for 85 offences, mainly for theft matters, and his latest set of crimes triggered a suspended sentence for biting two members of staff at Morrisons in Lawley in March 2020, after he was caught stealing chocolate bars and a bottle of gin.
In the first of his most recent crimes, Shrewsbury Crown Court heard that Chick went into Heron Foods in New Street, Wellington, on November 3 last year, attempting to remove the charity box. After failing to take it, he returned with a set of wire cutters and made off with the tin.
Then, on November 8, he stole bars of chocolate from Morrisons Daily in Trench Lock. He was seen on CCTV.
Two days later he tried to steal an electric shaver from Tesco at Wrekin Retail Park, but was spotted by staff who told him to leave.
On November 23, at B&M in New Street, Wellington, he was seen by security putting two boxes of Christmas fairy lights in his bag, and tried to leave without paying. Later that day, he went to Wilkos in Market Street, Wellington, where he stole false eyelashes.
The following day, he took 18 selection boxes worth £36 from Tesco Extra in Haygate Road, Wellington, as well as a box of chocolates worth £24. He was arrested on November 25.
Chick, whose address was given as HMP Hewell, pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to five counts of theft, one of attempted theft and seven counts of breaching a criminal behaviour order. The order banned him from every Tesco in Shropshire, every Morrisons in Telford and Wrekin, and Spar in Leegomery, Telford.
Debra White, defending, said Chick had been addicted to heroin since the age of 17, although he had managed a "long period" during that time when he was not in the grip of addiction. She also said he could not afford the travel costs to collect his methadone prescription.
Judge Anthony Lowe handed down a sentence totalling 42 weeks, half of which will be spent behind bars before he is released on license.
"You have to find a way of addressing this heroin addiction," he told Chick. "You are a persistent thief. I'm sorry it's not an easy world for you, but it's not an easy world for other people either."
