A THIEF deliberately set out to get himself arrested by stealing from a shop.
David O'Connell, from Jaywick, stole a padlock and magnifying glass worth £11.18 from WH Smith in Colchester last month.
At the time he was serving a suspended prison sentence imposed for theft and criminal damage.
Chelmsford Crown Court heard he had problems at the time and was under stress.
"He found himself in a situation where he could not cope," Emma Davenport, mitigating, told the court.
O'Connell, of Sunbeam Avenue, admitted theft and breaking the terms of his suspended sentence.
Recorder Ian Bourne QC did not activate the suspended sentence but gave the 49-year-old a 12-month community order and an 80-hour work order.
The judge told him: "You were under pressure and unable to cope and this was deliberate offending to get into custody."
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article