Thieving spree to feed habit (From Gazette Series)

Thieving spree to feed habit

ADDICT Michael Mclarnen, who fed his habit through shoplifting and burglary, has been jailed for 18 months for his latest crime spree.

Mclarnen, 29, of Grove Street, Cheltenham, appeared at Gloucester Crown Court on Wednesday to be sentenced for burglary, attempted burglary, theft, possession of a Class A drug, and failure to surrender to bail.

Mclarnen, who already as 48 previous convictions, asked for 51 similar offences to be taken into consideration by the judge.

Kannan Siva, prosecuting, told the court that Mclarnen broke into a house belonging to Pat Dunwoody in The Street, Uley, on May 4 this year by forcing open the kitchen window.

He made off with jewellery, computer games, two mobile phones and TV set.

Later Ms Dunwoody's son Matthew, 18, was putting out the rubbish when he saw a plastic bag containing cigarettes and a hypodermic syringe. Police examined one of the cigarette butts and found Mclarnen's DNA on it.

On the same day, he had attempted to break into another house in Uley, by attempting to kick open the doors to a shed, thinking that owner Kim Sansom, who was known to him, was out. When challenged, he denied doing anything wrong and left.

Mr Siva explained that these two offences were committed while Mclarnen was on bail from the magistrates' court after admitted being in possession of 0.3 grammes of crack cocaine on April 19.

When police caught up with him Mclarnen also admitted a charge of shoplifting from a branch of Sainsbury's in Stroud on September 19 last year, as well as 51 similar offences.

These were mostly unsolved shoplifting cases that the police had on their books, Mr Siva said.

Robert Davies, defending, said: "He knows it must be custody - the probation service, understandably, don't feel able to suggest any other alternative."

But Mr Davies said that although Mclarnen had been funding his heroin habit with this crimes, had had been clean for two months while on remand and wished to remain so.

Recorder David Lane QC told Mclarnen: "It is obvious that you have a pronounced habit of taking drugs and commit offences to finance it. But I'm pleased that you have made some progress in prison and have remained clean."