Shoplifter stole £1,000 of collectible cards from Bulwell to pay off drugs debt

Matthew Duffield asked staff at Trident Cards, Commercial Road, about specific products, before selecting the cards and putting them into his gym bag.

Mansfield Magistrates’ Court heard he and two other men left without attempting to pay.

When staff noticed empty spaces on the shelves they reviewed the CCTV to find £1,238 worth of stock was missing.

Lynette Holland, prosecuting, said Duffield has 21 previous convictions for 82 offences, and was serving a suspended sentence for shoplifting at the time.

Duffield aged 45, of HMP Ranby, admitted shop theft.

Sian Hall, mitigating, said he admitted four separate shop thefts on January 23. The suspended sentence was activated and he was jailed for 39 weeks.

She said the Bulwell theft should have been taken into account on that date.

Since he has been in custody, Duffield has been working with the substance misuse team and is now totally free from drugs and alcohol.

He owed a drug debt to the two other men in the shop and they passed him the cards.

Duffield is due to be released in June when he has the chance of supported accomodation in a Nottingham hostel and an interview for a warehouse job.

More time in custody will interfere with these opportunities, Ms Hall added.

Duffield was jailed for two weeks, to run alongside the sentence he is currently serving, and was ordered to pay £500 compensation.