A DRUG addict was so desperate to go to prison for drug rehabilitation treatment that he stole over and over again from shops, a court heard.

Jason Michael Smith, 36, of Moredon Park appeared before the town’s magistrates charged with the theft of meat valued at £82.53 from Asda Walmart on October 27 this year.

Pauline Lambert, prosecuting, told the court that when arrested Smith had said he had taken the meat because he wanted to go to prison to get rehab.

Miss Lambert added that when, on November 22 this year, Smith had pleaded guilty to four shop thefts and to obstructing police, he had been sentenced to 12 weeks in custody, suspended for 12 months and the theft from Asda was in breach of the suspended sentence order.

Gordon Hotson, defending, said Smith had an unenviable record of offending in recent times and was increasingly desperate to get into rehab but there was a problem with funding.

Smith had been told by the local drugs service CGL that he had to cut right down on his drug use and on the methadone prescription.

“He wants to get clean because he wants to build a relationship with his son,” Mr Hotson said.

“Another reason is that he can see the damage that intravenous drug use is causing to his health, otherwise it is going to kill him quite frankly,” Mr Hotson added.

The magistrates ordered Smith to serve an extra 14 days in prison for the meat theft, in addition to the 12 weeks of the suspended sentence activated by the latest crime, making a total of 14 weeks in prison with immediate effect.