Thief stole £200-worth of cookies and chocolate from Washington shops

A sweet-toothed thief has been jailed for pinching over £200 of goods from two shops weeks after being sentenced for similar crimes.

Drug abuser Jonjo Morson, 37, is starting four weeks behind bars for failing to keep his sticky fingers off biscuits and confectionery.

Morson, of Kennilworth Court, Sulgrave, Washington, stole £103 worth of cookies from the Co-op’s outlet in Victoria Place, Concord on Wednesday, October 11.

Four days later, he twice targeted the One Stop shop in Blue House Lane, Usworth, South Tyneside Magistrates’ Court heard.

He nabbed £54 worth of chocolate goodies – and made off with £45 of the same product after returning later the same day.

His crimes came while subject to an 18-month community order, imposed on September 21 for a catalogue of like offences, many against the Co-op.

Magistrates were told he had also failed to engage with the relevant authorities in relation to the community order.

These included missed appointments with a drug treatment service, leading to “total non-compliance”, the Probation Service said.

Prosecutor Sara Kemp said: “The defendant entered the Co-op store once and another store on two occasions.

“He selected a number of items and left without making any attempt to pay.

“The defendant has eight previous convictions from 24 offences, 16 of which are theft or kindred.

“He committed these offences while on a community order. I am seeking compensation for the stores.”

Morson pleaded guilty to three counts of theft from a shop. He was given the community order for committing around a dozen thefts earlier this year.

Sandra Fife, defending, told magistrates they had a range of punishment options which avoided imprisonment.

She insisted any custodial sentence could be suspended, given the community order had had little time to make progress.

Mrs Fife added: “He presents as someone who has a drug problem, it’s as simple as that, hence the quantity of offences.

“It’s classic inquisitive crime which you see before this court all the time.”

Magistrates revoked the community order and jailed Morson for two weeks for each of his previous offences, all to run concurrently.

They jailed him for two weeks for each of his latest three thefts, one to run consecutively and two to run concurrently.

He must pay compensation of £103 to the Co-op and £99 to One Stop, and a £154 victim surcharge and £85 court costs.