A CONVICTED burglar has confessed to stealing cash from two Rugby charity shops and the pub where he worked as a chef.
John Robinson, 43, of Bath Street, Rugby, was jailed for two years after he had pleaded guilty to four charges of burglary and asked for seven other offences to be taken into consideration.
At Warwick Crown Court, prosecutor David Iles said Robinson began working at the Paddox pub in Hillmorton Road at the beginning of October, when it was made clear that he could not enter the private quarters.
Four weeks later landlady Erica Bryant left £200 in a bag at the bottom of the stairs in the living quarters – and later found £100 had been stolen.
Robinson immediately left the pub, and two days later broke into the Sue Ryder charity shop and stole £193 in cash.
Then in November Robinson broke into the Christian Bookshop in Castle Street, and stole £335 from the till.
He returned a week later, smashed the window which had been repaired following his previous break-in, and stole a further £200.
When Robinson was arrested at his home for the pub burglary he admitted being responsible – and also admitted the charity shop break-ins.
Mr Iles pointed out that Robinson went on to admit the seven other offences, which included thefts from the purses of staff members at the Paddox and further shop burglaries and thefts.
The court heard that Robinson had a long list of previous convictions, including burglaries dating back to 1989.
Nick Devine, defending, said: “His only real mitigation is his guilty plea and his frankness during the course of the police interview in which he admitted a string of offences for which there was no evidence against him at the time.
“His record is a bad one, but the last offence of burglary was in 2011, and since then there has been just one offence of theft in July this year.
“He had got his life back on track and had got himself a job as a chef; but drugs are his main problem.”
Mr Devine said Robinson had now undertaken a home detox programme and has been engaging with the Recovery Partnership, triggered by a realisation that he has ‘next to no chance of having contact with his son unless he sorts himself out’.
Jailing Robinson, Recorder Adrian Redgrave QC told him: “I have read the pre-sentence report and I have paid attention to what Mr Devine has said, and it’s clear you committed these offences to feed a drug habit.
“But there are simply too many offences for this court to be able to follow the suggestion in the report.
“Your offending, both past and current, takes you outside the range of the sentencing guidelines.”
