A SERIAL shop thief has been jailed after shoplifting just four days after being given his last chance by magistrates.

Notorious Martin Morgan, who has 159 thefts on his record, had been given a suspended prison sentence by the justices last Monday.

But just four days later, on Friday, August 28, the 35-year-old took two bottles of gin from Tesco Metro in The Parade.

Appearing before Swindon Magistrates’ Court on Bank Holiday Monday, Morgan, of Whitworth Road, admitted that theft and two others – of candles and a reed diffuser from House of Fraser.

Morgan, who was beamed into court via the video link from Gablecross police station, vociferously protested one of the charges – saying the Yankee candles he’d taken from the department store were not worth £40, as prosecutors claimed, but had been on sale.

“It was reduced price,” the bearded defendant told the court.

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Martin Morgan Picture: WILTSHIRE POLICE

He pleaded not guilty to a fourth shoplifting charge, alleging he had taken washing liquid and wine from the Kingsdown Co-op on August 22.

Prosecutor Kate Prince offered no evidence to support the contested allegation.

Gordon Hotson, defending, said his client had struggled with drug abuse in the past and, more recently, alcoholism.

Since being released from prison at the end of June he had been back before the magistrates’ court three times for shoplifting.

But his lawyer said Morgan was engaging better with the probation service than he had in the past and was attending appointments. He had secure accommodation and had begun to receive benefits payments after months of waiting.

Sending Morgan to prison never seemed to end his cycle of offending, Mr Hotson said.

“It will result inevitably in him losing his universal credit," he said. "He’ll be back to square one.”

Notwithstanding the mitigation, magistrates activated his 16-week suspended sentence in full and added a total of two weeks for the latest thefts, leaving him with an 18-week jail sentence to serve.

Chairman of the bench Maryanne Burton said: “This is a blatant disregard.

"You were released from prison on June 29 and this is now the third time you have been in court.”