Wolverhampton pub raider is jailed for 20 months
A prolific criminal was on a loser when he tried to crack a pub gaming machine with a lump hammer, Wolverhampton Crown Court heard.
Paul Evans had £242 worth of coins in his pockets when stopped after he struck in Tettenhall.
He has been in court 23 times and has 54 previous convictions, the court heard yesterday.
Prosecutor David Lees said the 40-year-old was with a second man when they threw concrete blocks to smash open the door of The Rock in Old Hill. The raiders escaped with £588 in coins after causing £1,600 damage.
Jon Roe, defending, said Evans regretted the distress he had caused to the pub manager and his family by the "clumsy" burglary but explained that the defendant had been addicted to drugs for 20 years.
He added: "He now realises he is getting too old for this type of offence,"
Evans, of Fifth Avenue, Low Hill, pleaded guilty to burglary and was jailed for 20 months by Judge John Maxwell who said: " You are a prolific criminal with a long list of convictions that is indicative of a drug addict who has been dishonest for many years."
