Thief who targeted Costcutter, Tesco and B&Q in York is jailed

Jake Johnson broke into the Costcutter store in Barley Rise, Strensall, through a rear toilet window in the early hours of February 21, York Magistrates were told.

He stole a safe, cash, cash drawers and cigarettes worth a total of £1,300, and also caused £300 of damage to the premises, said Kathryn Reeve, prosecuting. He was jailed for 22 weeks.

Johnson, 20, of Carnot Street, York, had earlier gone into the Tesco supermarket at Askham Bar just before midnight and gone up to the first floor, which was unmanned at the time, and gone to a till and tried to steal the contents, she said.

On February 2, he also went to B&Q's store in Hull Road and stole a pair of pliers worth £59, and was identified by police from images recorded on CCTV.

Johnson, who pleaded guilty to burglary, theft and attempted theft, appeared via a video link from prison, having been jailed for 15 months in February for aggravated car snatching, driving while disqualified, having no insurance, two thefts and one charge of possessing cannabis.

York Crown Court was told then that he was a drink driver who had raced a stolen car up and down a residential street at midnight, tried to escape when police arrived and pursued him, but drove into a ditch before crashing into a tree.

Magistrates yesterday jailed him for 18 weeks for the burglary, to serve in addition to the existing 15 month sentence, and handed him another four week sentence for the theft, with no separate sentence for the attempted theft. They also ordered him to pay £500 compensation to Costcutter at £5 per week when he is released from jail.

Kristian Cavanagh said in mitigation that Johnson had pleaded guilty at the first opportunity and wanted to 'wipe the slate clean.'

He said: "He looks visibly different. He recognises he was on the path to destruction."

He said Johnson had undergone drug treatment since being jailed and recognised he had a drug and alcohol problem.