A notorious Lanarkshire offender has clocked up an incredible 72 convictions for shoplifting and related crimes.
James Marshall, 39, is back behind bars after stealing again while on early release.
Marshall’s criminal record stretches back to November 1995 when he was aged 16.
Sheriffs have tried various ways to keep him out of prison over the years.
These have included putting him under supervision, giving him unpaid work to do, tagging him and arranging help with his addiction issues.
But he’s also been sent to prison nearly 50 times and, increasingly in recent years, that has been the option selected by the bench.
The last time Marshall was given a non-custodial sentence was at Airdrie Sheriff Court in August 2017 when he was handed an 18-month supervision order which included addiction counselling.
Unfortunately, he was back in the dock five months later and jailed again for shoplifting.
In his latest appearance at Hamilton Sheriff Court, Marshall, of no fixed address, admitted stealing an unspecified number of lawnmowers from Homebase in the town’s Palace Grounds Retail Park on June 6.
Sheriff Linda Nicolson heard that Marshall had been released from prison on April 15 this year. She sentenced him to six months in prison.
