A FORMER Swindon Town steward who carried out a smash and grab at a supermarket has been jailed for eight months.

Leon Symonds, who has a long history of crime, hurled a rock through the front door of the Co-op on Rodbourne Road and plundered the tobacco counter.

Despite a sniffer dog tracking down the 29-year-old, who was found nearby with the swag and fragments of glass from the shattered door in his clothing, he pleaded not guilty.

But a few weeks before he was to stand trial, and while he was serving another jail term, he asked for the case to be brought back to court where he admitted what he had done.

Chris Smyth, prosecuting, told Swindon Crown Court that the alarm at the shop went off at 4.47am on Sunday, May 24, last year.

He said CCTV footage showed two men approach the front of the store and smash the glass door with a large rock.

"The men entered and a large quantity of cigarettes were taken. The men are then seen to be leaving carrying the items," he said.

Police were on the scene quickly and a tracker dog sniffed out Symonds, who was found nearby without any shoes on.

"Near to him was a duvet filled with cigarettes. The clothes matched the footage and glass fragments in his clothing also matched the broken door," said Mr Smyth.

Mr Smyth said the value of the stolen items varied between £2,000 and £3,000 in the statements and before the damage was added on.

Although the items were recovered he said they could not be sold by the shop after they had been taken.

Symonds, of Penhill, pleaded guilty to a charge of burglary.

The court heard he had 151 previous convictions and was jailed for eight months in December for dangerous driving, meaning he was to be released on April 7.

In 2010 he was jailed for two years after he was caught red handed burgling a funeral parlour in Cirencester.

Symonds had taken almost £1,300 in cash, several mobile phones and was found in possession of three rings which he insisted were his own.

As well as burglary of Cowley and Sons funeral parlour in Victoria Road, Cirencester, he had asked for seven other offences – two of them raids on funeral companies in Swindon – to be taken into consideration.

Last year Symonds was banned from all B&M, Boots, Waitrose or Dunelms stores in the country. His thefts then included a £1,500 roll of artificial turf stolen from a B&M store.

Matthew Radstone, defending, said his client had been taking heroin since he was 13 years old having been introduced to it by his mother's partner.

Since he was jailed last year he said he has managed to wean himself off drugs and he hoped to get employment when he is released.

"He is trained carpenter. He has worked in the past as a steward at Swindon Town, as a warehouseperson and a fork lift truck driver," said Mr Radstone.

"He is not somebody who is a complete write off. He has insight and he has potential."

Jailing him Judge Tim Mousley QC said: "When this case first came before the court you pleaded not guilty.

"I am not sure why but that is what you did and the case has got as far as being listed for trial.

"You are in custody serving a sentence at he moment and I bear in mind the effect of the sentence I am going to impose on your release date.

"You are at the age of 29 starting to put your life in good order and intending to live a good honest life when you are released."