A drug addict who stole a charity box and £1200 in cash from an Elland bar has been been jailed for his latest crime spree.
Prolific offender Craig Robins, 43, grabbed the box and a bag containing the £1,200 float after sneaking into the Caddy Shack Bar 14 months ago.
Bradford Crown Court heard that Robins, who had 29 convictions for 60 offences on his record, was caught on CCTV, but he was not arrested over the burglary until he committed more crimes in January.
Prosecutor Carmel Pearson said Robins turned up at his father’s home in Sowerby Bridge and stole a purse containing £40 which belonged to a carer who was at the premises looking after the defendant’s stepmother.
In a victim impact statement Robins’ father said he was “absolutely sickened” by his son’s behaviour.
When police visited Robins’ own flat they discovered that he had been growing 26 cannabis plants which could have produced almost one-and-a-half kilos of the drug with an estimated street value of £12,200.
Miss Pearson said Robins, of Albert Road, Sowerby Bridge , was given police bail at that stage, but between May and July this year he went on to commit a series of other burglaries and attempted burglaries of commercial premises in Halifax.
During a break-in at the William Priestley hair salon in Silver Street in early July Robins again stole two charity boxes as well as cash.
Miss Pearson said Robins then carried out a number of burglaries and attempted burglaries at business premises in the St John’s Lane area on the night of July 14.
During one of those attacks Robins was captured on CCTV footage leaving a beauty salon with £1,000 worth of gift sets and products stuffed into a pillowcase.
Miss Pearson said Robins also forced his way into a solicitors office, but he left his fingerprints on the metal bar he used to get into the premises.
Robins was finally arrested again a few days later and on Tuesday he was jailed for a total of 28 months after he admitted seven burglaries, two attempted burglaries, theft from a dwelling and production of cannabis.
Barrister Mark Brookes, for Robins, said his client had had a heroin addiction for four or five years and he got involved in growing the cannabis because he was in debt to others.
Judge David Hatton QC said the attacks on commercial premises had involved varying amounts of damage and inconvenience as well as varying amounts of property taken.
He said it was an aggravating feature that Robins had continued offending while on bail.
