Telford heroin addict 'a one-man crime wave'

Carl Stephen Williams, 29, used a pair of wire cutters to take collection boxes for the Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal, Heart Research and a tips box at Telford’s Nandos.

He also helped himself to a cinema worker’s mobile phone while she waited to be served coffee.

Miss Abigail Hall, prosecuting, told Telford Magistrates Court: “The phone’s owner was working in Odeon Cinema on May 6 when she went to Costa to have a coffee. She put her things on the counter. The defendant took the phone and left.

“A customer who knew him told the police who he was and officers went to his address at 1.15am on May 7 to speak to him about it. He put his hand in his pocket and took out the iPhone. He told them he went to the cinema to see what he could steal to make some money and his intention was to sell it it to support his heroin addiction.”

While on bail he stole the Heart Research box containing up to £40 on May 18 and the next day the poppy box containing an unknown sum from shops in the Oakengates area. Then on May 20 he was again arrested after the theft of a tips box in Nandos, in Southwater, which he used to buy heroin and crack cocaine.

When he was arrested he was found carrying a sock containing a golf ball.

The court heard that Williams, of Dalford, Hollinswood, has previous convictions for similar offences.

Miss Sarah Cooper, mitigating, said: “He tells me he initially got addicted when he found out that his wife was having an affair. He was a bricklayer and was working and things spiralled. He had been working for a good number of years then moved to Telford and fell into a drugs taking crowd.

“None of these offences have the hallmarks of sophistication. He does get help from his family and friends, but that is not enough. He needs a tailor made programme to deal with this one-man crime wave that has happened in the past few weeks.”

Williams, formerly of Wolverhampton, admitted four counts of theft and one count of possession of an offensive weapon relating to the golf ball.

He was sentenced to a 12-month community order, drug treatment for nine months, 20 activity days with probation. He was also fined £20, ordered to pay £30 compensation to Heart Research, costs £185 and victims’ surcharge £85.

“We have decided to give you one more. You have an horrendous record and it’s not got any better,” chairman of the bench Mrs Janet Whitby told him.