Heroin addict burglar sent to prison
A 'chronic' heroin addict whose drug use turned him into a prolific offender has been jailed for three years.
James Gregory had 20 previous convictions involving 63 offences before his latest crime spree, Wolverhampton Crown Court heard.
On April 12 this year he did not attend meetings with probation staff and broke the terms of a two year suspended jail sentence imposed for beating up a love rival in June 2012.
Then the 30-year-old exchanged £500 worth of stolen tools for £45 at Cash Converters in Stourbridge on August 2.
Shortly afterwards staff were alerted to be on the look out for the property and informed police who revealed that the tools had been taken from a flat in High Street, Lye, prosecutor Miss Blondelle Thompson said.
Next he left a tell tale spot of blood after cutting himself while breaking into a caravan on a business park in Lye, the court was told. DNA checks later confirmed that the blood was that of Gregory.
When he was arrested on October 17 he was in possession of nine wraps of heroin and also admitted having previously had crack and methadone, the court heard.
Mr Simon Hanns, defending, said: "He has been a chronic heroin addict for a long time and this has blighted most of his life."
Gregory from High Street, Lye admitted handling stolen property, breaching a court order, possession of drugs and burglary. Judge Mark Eades told him: "You have a shocking criminal record."
