Prolific thief is jailed for stealing in spree

A SHOPLIFTER has been jailed for 32 weeks.

Prolific shoplifter Michael Leach appeared at Portsmouth Crown Court after being caught on CCTV.

The court heard Leach, 21, stole sunglasses worth £15 from Marks and Spencers in Fareham on February 11.

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He also took trainers worth £29.99 from TK Maxx in Cascades Shopping Centre in Portsmouth on March 11.

Leach also took perfume worth £20 from the shopping centre on the same day.

And he stole £156 worth of make-up and perfume from Boots in Commercial Road, Portsmouth.

Leach admitted breaching a previous suspended sentence for theft.

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Daniel Reilly, for Leach, said his client had been on the streets and suffering from drug addiction but had tried to keep clean until he was reunited with a bad influence.

Jailing Leach for 32 weeks, judge Sarah Munro QC said Leach had gone ‘down hill’ when his partner was released from prison.

The court heard that Leach, who admitted the thefts, has 42 previous offences across 19 separate convictions.

Leach, of Fitzworth Avenue, Hamworthy, Poole, had also failed to take full advantage of previous drug rehabilitation requirement.