A prolific South Cumbrian thief has been jailed for stealing charity collection boxes.
Matthew David Holland, 39, of Newport Street, Barrow-in-Furness, admitted two charges of theft when he appeared by PCVL at South Cumbria Magistrates' Court on Thursday, 26th September 2019.
Magistrates heard that Holland swiped one of the collection boxes from the front desk of Apollo Bingo in Barrow's Hollywood Park on 30th August 2019. He concealed the box under his coat before leaving the premises. The box in question, which was raising funds for St Mary's Hospice in nearby Ulveston, contained around £30.
The second theft took place at the same bingo hall on 14th September 2019, when Holland stole a Great Ormond Street Hospital collection box containing around £10.
Prosecutor Lee Dacre told the court that Holland was last before the courts in 2018 when he was jailed for 14 months for burglary. Of the 85 offences to his name, 30 of them relate to theft and kindred offences. Holland was subject to post-sentence supervision at the time of these latest offences.
Liz Phizacklea, mitigating, said Holland had since been into the bingo hall to apologise.
"He tells me that he has recently moved in with his partner; he was previously living with his cousin," she said.
"Him and his partner wanted to do something together so they joined the bingo.
"He says his actions were stupid and describes himself as an idiot.
"He has been into the bingo hall since and apologised to the owner and says when he is released from custody he plans to go back and repay the money he has taken."
Magistrates activated an existing 6 week suspended sentence order in full. They imposed an additional 2 weeks in custody, to run consecutively, for the thefts.
The chair of the bench said: "The money in the collection box was meant for a charity in the local area.
"We believe a custodial sentence is appropriate because of your previous offending and the fact that when the offence was committed you would have been on post-sentence supervision."
Holland was also ordered to pay £30 compensation, £85 towards prosecution costs and £122 victim surcharge.
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