A PERSISTENT thief who defied a court order to mount a shoplifting campaign against a convenience store has been given the maximum sentence possible at York Magistrates Court.

Earlier this summer Stephen Robert Wainwright, 40, was barred from the Co-op in Flaxley Road, Selby because he had previously stolen from it.

York Magistrates Court heard that two and a half months after the ban was made under a criminal behaviour order (CBO), he was spotted within the convenience store twice in two days.

The first time, he stole 15 packs of bacon worth £32.75. The next day he stole 10 jars of coffee worth £55.

Shop staff called in police and he was arrested and sent to York Magistrates Court in custody.

There the homeless Selby thief pleaded guilty to two charges of theft and two of breaching the CBO made at the same court and was jailed for 12 months. He was also ordered to pay £87.75 compensation to the Co-op.

The court said he had a “flagrant disregard” for court orders and his crimes were aggravated because of his criminal record and because he was on prison licence at the time.

When the CBO was made, Wainwright was jailed for 20 weeks for theft. He was released partway through the sentence under national laws – and started stealing again.