Serial fuel thief sentenced to 26-week term in prison

A serial thief who stole hundreds of pounds of fuel from filling station forecourts across the region was behind bars today.

Father-to-be David Lee, aged 29, targeted both petrol and diesel pumps on 11 occasions, stealing a total of £674.80 worth of fuel.

He was jailed for 26 weeks at Wolverhampton Magistrates Court yesterday.

Lee, who lives at the Wulfrun Hotel in Pipers Row, Wolverhampton, admitted to driving without a licence or insurance along with four charges of driving off without payment, known as bilking, and asked for a further seven to be taken into account.

He also admitted stealing £340 from the till of the Gala Bingo hall in Lichfield Road, Wednesfield, while a cashier had her back turned.

Magistrates Mrs Julie Clark sentenced him to 12 weeks for bilking, taking into account the extra offences, plus 12 weeks for the theft at Gala Bingo.

An extra two weeks was added for failing to attend a previous court hearing. He was also disqualified from driving for a year. "Due to the level of seriousness and volume of these offences, we believe custody is the only option available to us," she said.

The first theft was recorded at the Asda filling station in Wednesfield Oak Road, Tipton, on November 18, followed by further thefts at the New Invention Service Station in Willenhall, Morrisons in Bilston and the Apple Green Service Station in Cannock Road, Wolverhampton.

The court heard he also took fuel from the Co-op, Bloxwich; Murco, Tipton; Tesco Express in The Scotlands, Wolverhampton; Total, Compton; Country Bridge Service Station, Willenhall; Triton, Compton; and a second theft at Apple Green.