Charity boxes thief is jailed

A Market Drayton drug addict who stole money from charity boxes to pay for heroin was today starting a two-and-a-half year spell behind bars.

Andrew Guy stole three British Legion Poppy Appeal boxes, including one just 24 hours before Remembrance Day, a court heard. Guy also stole a collection box for the County Air Ambulance between October 12 and November 10.

Judge Robin Onions told the 39-year-old, of Simons Road, that he had targeted "better people than you or me" who had fought for their country.

Sentencing at Shrewsbury Crown Court yesterday, he said: "In terms of theft it doesn't get much worse than this.

"It matters not to me in the slightest whether there was any money in the boxes or not. You knew, because of the time of year, people were donating money to the British Legion.

"It is not the money, it is the principle. You stole from better people than you or me. It doesn't matter whether it was one penny or £100. It is stealing from charity.

"I think you are most sorry for yourself and not what you have done. You should be ashamed."

Guy had previously admitted four charges of theft and one of burglary. He also asked for three other thefts of charity collection boxes to be taken into consideration when he appeared at Shrewsbury Crown Court yesterday.

Judge Onions sentenced Guy to 18 months in jail for each of the thefts, to run concurrently. He sentenced him to 12 months behind bars for the burglary, to run consecutively.

Guy was also ordered to spend an extra 90 days in prison for breaching the conditions of a previous sentence. Mr Max Bennett, prosecuting, said Guy had used scissors in some cases to cut string securing the collection boxes, before stealing them.

He said the charity boxes were stolen from places including Bargain Booze in Market Drayton, Woore Post Office and the Total Filling Station at Tern Hill.

Guy had also taken money from the purse of his neighbour while she was away from her home.

Mr Daniel White, for the defendant, said Guy had stolen the money to pay for his heroin addiction and was extremely ashamed and sorry for what he had done.

By Andy Robbins