STEALING meat from M&S to settle a debt has seen a man sent to jail.

Sean Little, 26, of Culvery Court, pleaded guilty to the charge of theft dating from October 30 when he came before magistrates sitting in Swindon on Monday. He also admitted that this put him in breach of bail conditions in relation to another theft matter that prevent him from entering any shop in Swindon other than Tesco on Ocotal Way or the Carfax Street pharmacy.

He is due to stand trial for this theft from Morrison in February of next year having denied the charge.

On October 12 he was given a 20 week prison sentence, suspended for 18 months for an offence of shop lifting, and he also received an 18 month conditional discharge on October 15 for a further shoplifting offence that predated the earlier charge.

His defence, Gordon Hotson, urged the magistrates not to activate his client's suspended sentence order, citing that Little hadn't received adequate medical treatment the last time he went to jail having sustained a stab wound to his back prior to sentencing. "I think the standard of healthcare in prison falls short of what we would hope for," he said.

But the magistrates said it would not be unjust to activate his prison sentence, and sent him into custody for 20 weeks. They also imposed an extra seven days for this latest offence.