Jail for charity pot thief who left fingerprints on hammer
A thief has been jailed after stealing charity collection pots from the same pub which he had burgled in the past.
John Clive broke into The Lamb Inn, in Broad Eye, Stafford, by smashing a first-floor window on October 1 this year.
The 33-year-old made his way through the property and picked up a hammer before taking two charity pots from the kitchen area and smashing a ground-floor window with the hammer to escape, before leaving it at the scene with his fingerprints on.
Mr Mouzam Razaq, prosecuting, said: "A burglary took place at a pub, Paul Jackerman is the landlord.
"Mr Jackerman left the pub about 10.30pm that night and returned in the morning to find two windows had been smashed and a hammer under one of the smashed windows.
"He saw all his belongings had been searched, the charity boxes were missing and two windows were smashed at a cost of around £200.
"It's said that hammer has been taken by Mr Clive.
"Forensics that take place on the hammer give a hit for Mr John Clive."
Miss Lucy Taylor-Grime, defending Clive, said he had 'dabbled' in drugs and that had a 'knock-on effect' of burglary.
Clive, of Newport Road, Stafford, was found guilty of burglary at Cannock Magistrates' Court in his absence on Tuesday and handed 24 weeks in prison and a £115 victim surcharge by district judge Ian Strongman.
Mr Strongman said: "He has got a dreadful record for commercial burglaries and has previously targeted the same pub."
