A drug addict begged magistrates to send him to prison so that he could get clean.

Richard Frost, of Scholes Road in Birkby, got away with stealing meat worth £100 from a Dewsbury supermarket. Kirklees magistrates heard how he returned to the same store the next day in a bid to get caught.

The 32-year-old told police that he wanted to be jailed to wean himself off his £20 a day heroin habit. He got his wish and was jailed by magistrates, who criticised his poor record and lack of compliance with court orders.

Vanessa Schofield, prosecuting, said that Frost walked into a branch of Morrisons in the town on September 11, went straight to the meat aisle and stuffed products into shopping bags.

He was not detained but the theft was picked up on CCTV footage. The next day he did it again but was challenged by staff and detained.

Ms Schofield said: “He told police: ‘I’m glad I got caught, I want to go back to prison to get myself sorted and off drugs.’”

Magistrates heard that Frost was last in court on August 16 for a similar matter. He was sentenced to a suspended term of imprisonment, together with a drug rehabilitation requirement.

Mohammed Arif, mitigating, said that his client had made regular appearances at the Huddersfield court in recent years. He explained that a few years ago Frost found his father hanging at home.

Mr Arif said: “Ever since he’s associated himself with people who take drugs. He began to dabble with drugs and that dabbling became an addiction. Now he has a £20 plus a day addiction to heroin and he needs help.”

Mr Arif said that Frost felt like his best chance of kicking his habit for good was by going to prison.

“He feels there’s only once place for him to go and take himself off drugs and that there’s no professional agency who can aid him.”

Magistrates sentenced Frost to a total of 32 weeks in prison.