A THIEF who stole a Poppy Appeal charity box while on court bail and prison parole has escaped an immediate return to jail.

Derrick Matthews snatched a charity box placed by the Royal British Legion in ASDA’s Monks Cross store, Simon Ostler, prosecuting, told York Magistrates Court.

He was on bail at the time for stealing a charity box from The Three Cups pub in Stamford Bridge which had £82.62 in it that pubgoers had donated to Prostrate Cancer UK and had recently been released partway through a three-year prison sentence. He has a long list of previous convictions.

CCTV footage had shown him loitering near the bar then taking the collection box.

District judge Philip Houlden said: “These are quite mean offences. They are so serious a custodial sentence is needed.”

But he suspended the 28-day sentence for six months after hearing of Matthews’ efforts to kick his stealing habit.

Matthews, 56, of Tennant Road, Acomb, pleaded guilty to two charges of theft. In addition to the jail term, he was ordered to pay £15 compensation to the Royal British Legion, £150 court costs and £85 prosecution costs.

Miss Waldron said the cancer charity box had been returned unopened and police found the Poppy Appeal box when they arrested Matthews with money still inside it. He admitted spending £15 of its contents.

Mr Ostler said Matthews had been identified from CCTV after he had been seen loitering around inside the ASDA store for some minutes before taking the charity box on October 30.

Miss Waldron said he had been short of money at the time because he had had to wait for his state benefits to be sorted out following his release from jail in June. He had taken the charity boxes on the spur of the moment, and when he went into the ASDA store had been intending to buy something.

He was currently living in supported accommodation and was working with probation to get independent accommodation and a job.

The court heard the police do not know how much money was in the Royal British Legion box when it was taken. Police kept him in custody after his second arrest until his appearance before the court.