Serial fruit machine raider is jailed

A burglar responsible for at least 20 raids on pub fruit machines stole £300 from another one, weeks after being released early from prison, a court heard.

Drug addict John Rhodes, aged 41, sneaked in through a window at the Spread Eagle pub in Wolverhampton before breaking into the machine and stealing the money, all in pound coins.

But he left a spot of blood on the gaming machine, giving officers his DNA, and was arrested 10 days later

.Rhodes, who has convictions dating back to the age of 15, initially denied ever having gone to the pub but eventually pleaded guilty to burglary after being confronted with the scientific evidence.

Wolverhampton Crown Court heard how he had 38 previous burglary convictions - 20 of which involved gaming machines.

During one of Rhodes' sprees, he broke into Yates's Wine Lodge in Queen Square, three times in as many weeks through the same repeatedly repaired window.

Rhodes also got into Yates's in Walsall through an air vent, as well as raiding the Reflex Night Club in Wolverhampton and twice breaking into the Walkabout bar in Queen Street, city centre.

At the time, his lawyer said said Rhodes, of Garden Walk, Bilston, realised he was "getting too old for this game:, but had carried out burglaries to fund his drug addiction."

Yesterday Judge John Warner said Rhodes' last prison sentence was imposed on September 4, 2008. He was released from the 30 month sentence on October 23 last year and then burgled the Spread Eagle, on Birmingham New Road, Parkfields, overnight on December 6 last year.

Judge Warner said Rhodes had 47 previous crimes of dishonesty on his record."You've got a bad record and a large number of offences. You've got previous convictions for exactly the same thing and you were on licence at the time."

Mr John Roe, defending, said the raid on the Spread Eagle was "unsophisticated and low value", but admitted the fact he was on licence and had a long record made it a more serious crime.

"For a large part of his life he's been battling an addiction." He said that Rhodes had had trouble with his benefits and had "reverted to type" when he burgled the venue.

His first conviction was at the age of 15.

Have you been the victim of a burglary? Call our crime correspondent Mike Woods on 01902 319424.