Man caught with stolen car keys used nicked credit card to buy scratchcards - and went back to claim winnings
A man was caught with car keys and a credit card which were stolen from a house while a family slept.
Shrewsbury Crown Court was told that the Shifnal family, who live on Curriers Lane, woke up on July 18, 2022, to find a Kia Ceed car had been stolen from the driveway, and a handbag - containing a purse and cashcards, was missing.
Alexa Carrier, prosecuting, said that the victim had received a notification at 7am that morning, after noticing the items were missing, to say that her cash card had been used to spend £20 at the High Street Co-op.
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Stephen Wood, 48, of no-fixed-abode, had been seen buying scratch cards from the shop using the card's contactless function.
Ms Carrier explained that Wood had returned to the shop to attempt to spend a further £40 on scratch cards shortly after the first purchase, but the card was declined.
The court was told the defendant had then made a third visit to the shop - to claim the winnings from cards purchased on the first visit.
Wood, who appeared at court via video link from prison, had pleaded guilty to two charges of handling stolen goods and one count of fraud by false representation in relation to the incident.
The court was told Wood was also in breach of a bail offence having not turned up for a trial on the charges earlier this year.
Ms Carrier told the court that when police went to arrest Wood they discovered the keys to the Kia vehicle, woollen gloves and a black hoodie.
Kevin Jones, mitigating on Wood's behalf, urged the court to suspend any sentence, arguing the defendant had faced a significant delay in the case coming to court.
Mr Jones said Wood had made progress in prison, is working on the wing, and has been undertaking education.
He said: "He describes himself as the best he has ever been."
Mr Jones said Wood was no longer drinking, and was not using illegal drugs.
He said: "He is as I say, a better man than he was. He has shown enough compliant to probation that he will engage, the issue for the court is if there is the motivation."
Sentencing Judge Trevor Meegan said the offences were aggravated by Wood's previous convictions - including for theft, and by his drug use.
He was jailed for 28 months in June 2023 - after a conviction for possession of class A drugs with intent to supply.
He added that the defendant had also shown 'poor compliance' with previous court orders.
He said: "You were released from your last sentence early, unfortunately within days you were back on drugs."
Wood was sentenced to 14 months in prison for the fraud and handling stolen goods charges, as well as 14 days for the bail act offence.
He will serve half before being released on post sentence supervision.