AN ALCOHOLIC thief and fraudster who has amassed 50 convictions for more than 200 offences could face jail after stealing a woman’s purse on a bus.

Steven O’Brien pinched the purse just a week before being handed a suspended sentence for stealing a cup of tea and a car at a coffee shop in Wootton Bassett.

Earlier in June, the 14-month sentence was not activated when O’Brien appeared before the Crown Court for going on a spending spree with bank cards stolen from a charity shop worker.

Swindon Magistrates' Court heard on Wednesday how 50-year-old O’Brien, of Grange Park, had taken the purse from the woman near the West Swindon District Centre while she was distracted by her children while travelling on the Thamesdown Transport bus.

Pauline Lambert, prosecuting, said: “The injured party was on a Thamesdown bus with her children, and she puts the buggy and her handbag on the luggage rack.

“She has her handbag in her line of sight, but gets distracted by her son before getting off the bus to go to Asda in the West Swindon District Centre.

“It is there she realises her purse is missing. She finds out there has been attempts to use one of her cards, with pending transactions from Domino’s Pizza and Vodafone.

“She had all her credit cards in the purse as well as vouchers, her Sainsbury’s nectar card and provisional driving licence, along with about £10 in cash.

“When interviewed, Mr O’Brien has fully admitted the offence of taking the purse when he is on the bus, and he said it was a spur-of-the-moment thing.

“He said he had dumped it in a nearby bin after taking the cash.

“The latest matters he has been committed for sentence for in the crown court, and he is under a suspended sentence order for theft matters at Swindon Crown Court.”

O’Brien, whose record includes 87 thefts and 35 of fraud, has similar matters pending at Swindon Crown Court.

Richard Williams, defending, said: “In relation to this offence There was no confrontation between the defendant and the complainant. She was not aware her purse had been taken at the time.

“The date of this offence is March 17. That falls between convictions 46 and 47 on his record. On March 24, at Swindon Crown Court, he received a suspended sentence.

“Convictions 48, 49 and 50 were for similar matters and have been committed to the crown court for sentence. Those were dealt with on June 8 by way of a further suspended sentence, with one requirement of an alcohol treatment programme.

“He has a long-standing drink problem he is trying to resolve. He also attended court on June 17 this year when further matters were committed to Swindon Crown Court.”

O’Brien was remanded in custody to appear at Swindon Crown Court at a date to be fixed, for sentencing to allow all matters to tie up.