A LEGO thief who stole to feed his drug habit has been jailed.

Daniel John Dent, 28, of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty to two counts of theft and admitted to failing to surrender to court bail when he appeared before Swindon Magistrates Court on Monday.

Magistrates heard that Dent had visited The Entertainer store in Swindon’s Brunel Centre on July 14, making off with a Minecraft Lego set worth £47.99.

Interviewed by police, he made a “full and frank” admission, said prosecutor Keith Ballinger. “He says he’d gone into the store to steal items to sell for drugs.”

The following month, Dent stole a mattress topper from Poundworld, valued at £35.

Defending, solicitor Terry McCarthy said that on that occasion his client had merely followed his friend into the store “without thinking” and had walked out with the topper.

“I ask that you give him all credit for these please and admissions today,” Mr McCarthy.

Dent, who has 16 previous convictions for similar offences, had earlier this year been given a four week suspended prison sentence after committing a similar crime.

Magistrates chose to activate this suspended jail sentence in full. Dent was also given a week in prison for each theft, plus a further week for failing to surrender to court. The seven week jail term was to be served consecutively.

Dent was also told to pay £47.99 in compensation to The Entertainer, £35 compensation to Poundworld and a victim surcharge of £115.

From the dock, Dent, said: “I ain’t never going to pay that. I’m struggling to sort out my own benefits. I’m struggling to survive.”