Jailed: Oswestry man went shoplifting moments after court gave him 'one last chance'
A shoplifter from Oswestry who stole more than £300 worth of perfume moments after leaving court in Telford was brought back before the magistrates and sent straight to jail.
The bench told James Fury, aged 24, that his actions were a "slap in the face" after they had only hours before granted him a "last chance saloon" conditional discharge for stealing four joints of beef at The Meat Man, in Willow Street, Oswestry, on February 3.
But the addict was brought back to court after he was arrested in Telford Shopping Centre shortly after he was captured in Debenhams on CCTV putting five packets of perfume worth £320 inside a Sports Direct bag then leaving without paying.
Fury, of Lime Grove, Oswestry, initially appeared at Telford Magistrates Court where he admitted an offence of stealing four joints of beef valued at £50.
He was given a 12-month conditional discharge and ordered to pay a total of £155 in costs and victims' surcharge.
Just four hours later he was back in court where he admitted an offence of stealing and admitted breach of the conditional discharge.
Mr Euros Jones, mitigating, said: "He was released and he collected a travel warrant to get home.
"He was walking from court to the train station when he got a phone call from his girlfriend saying she needed money for drugs.
"He was doing well with his methadone prescription.
"She was the one who wasn't doing well.
"He foolishly turned round and went to the shopping centre to steal goods to sell to get the money for the drugs and was arrested.
"Since then his partner has also been caught shoplifting and has appeared in court in Wrexham and is in custody."
Chairman of the bench, Miss Marie Wilkes, told Fury that his behaviour had been a slap in the face.
She said: "We saw each other a few hours ago and we told you then this was your last chance, but clearly you feel responsible for your girlfriend, but it has resulted in you being brought back here.
"It is almost like a slap in the face.
"It will be immediate custody for you."
She re-sentenced him to six weeks in prison for the meat theft, six weeks in prison for the perfume theft and the breach to run consecutively.
He was also ordered to pay £115 victims' surcharge.
Fury admitted stealing the perfume.
