Shropshire shoplifter wanted prison to be fed
A man caught shoplifting turned down the store manager’s offer of free food because he wanted to go back to prison where he would be fed.
Shrewsbury Crown Court heard that Jason Mytton, 53, of no fixed abode, had struggled with no money to afford food after being released from jail.
Judge Peter Barrie was told Mytton had been given accommodation at a bed and breakfast after his release, but only one meal a day.
As a result, he had purposely stolen from Prees Heath Service Station on November 3 to get arrested.
The offence put him in breach of a suspended sentence, which had been imposed by the court on October 17 for possession of a knife and drugs.
The sentence was nine months custody, suspended for two years, with a 25-day rehabilitation activity requirement.
On that occasion, his wife had called the police because he had threatened to rob a shop in Shrewsbury so he could be jailed, where he believed he could sort out his housing problems.
The court was told that Mytton had been remanded while awaiting the hearing. Miss Laura Nash, prosecuting, told the court that on November 3, after he had been released, Mytton had gone to the service station from his nearby accommodation and had been seen putting milk and a number of items into a laundry bag.
The customer saw him leave the store without attempting to pay.
Miss Nash said that when the store manager approached Mytton he considered whether to call the police but offered to give him food instead. However, Mytton asked for the crime to be reported to the police.
Later that day, police attended his accommodation where he told them he would carry out a robbery if they did not remand him for his offence.
Mytton appeared at magistrates court the following day and was remanded until Wednesday’s hearing.
Mr Paul Smith, mitigating, said Mytton hoped the time in custody would allow him to find accommodation. He said: “He knows that provided the sentence is less than 12 months the sentence is one that would bring with it a 12-month supervision period that follows and his hope is that time in custody will allow time for psychological services to become involved and probation to assist when he leaves custody to find more effective support.”
Judge Barrie activated Mytton’s suspended sentence and, minus time spent on remand, sentenced him to four weeks' custody, of which he is likely to serve two.
