Prolific offender who stole from Buxton charity shop is jailed for six months

Grenville Hamilton was sentenced to a total of 24 weeks’ imprisonment after stealing a speaker from the Lighthouse charity shop and a puppy harness from a pet store on February 2.

The 37-year-old also attempted to use a credit card fraudulently on December 8 last year.

Chairman of the Bench Michael Hilton told Hamilton that stealing from small businesses could have a massive impact on livelihoods.

“You went on to steal from a charity shop. This bench thinks that was a particularly mean act,” he said.

“We think the public at large would take a very dim view of that and it seems to us that if you are not ashamed, you should be.”

Hamilton, who has long list of previous convictions, 97 in total, was released from prison two weeks ago, the court was told.

He was subject to a suspended prison sentence at the time of the theft and fraud offences, which had since been activated for other matters.

Kay Driver, defending, said the total value of the three offences was less than £50.

She urged magistrates to impose a fine or a drug treatment and testing order as part of a community order, adding that Hamilton had a long-standing issue with drugs and was motivated to address it.

The court heard Hamilton had been living in a hostel in Derby, but was looking to return to the local area.

The probation service ruled that Hamilton was not suitable for a drug treatment and testing order.

Previous orders, they said, had failed as he lacked motivation and they were unable to suggest any community-based order.

Mr Hilton said Hamilton had had numerous orders in the past and none of them had worked.

“It seems to us you have been given every possible chance to avoid custody and you have not responded to any of those chances,” he added.

Upon his release from prison, Hamilton must pay a £80 government surcharge.