A man who stole two legs of lamb, beef joints and steak to pay off drug debts has been jailed after a three-month crime spree.
Andrew Merritt, 30, from Cheapside, Worksop, pleaded guilty to 16 separate shop thefts across Nottinghamshire between November 2019 and January 2020 - where he stole items worth hundreds of pounds.
Merrit, who also stole cans of lager, bottles of spirits and a hover board during the spree, had a bad drug habit and stole the items to fund the addiction.
He also stole two pairs of wellington boots valued at £270, 12 jars of coffee from Farmfoods, a television from Tesco, a teeth whitening kit from Superdrug, three power charges from Sainsbury’s, as well as clothing in a number of burglary offences.
He was repeatedly caught on CCTV and was eventually arrested on January 23, 2020. Appearing at Nottingham Crown Court on February 14, he was jailed for 22 months.
Police Constable Rachel Andrews led the investigation. She said: "Merritt has a bad drug addiction and was stealing items from shops across Worksop to pay off the debt.
"We are pleased with today's result and pleased that we can give the victim's some reassurance that Merritt is behind bars.
"I’m pleased to see the courts recognised the impact this type of crime has on communities and reflected that in their sentence."
