Serial thief battling drugs and booze is jailed for 34 weeks

Buxton man Ashley Joule has been jailed for 34 weeks after pleaded guilty to 14 shop thefts, and one theft from vehicle and admitted breaching a community order and was sentenced for five further thefts in relation to the order.

Ashley Joule, 38, of Macclesfield Road, Buxton, struck at a range of stores in Buxton including Marks and Spencer, McColl’s, Morrisons and Lomas Foods and admitted stealing from a car, according to a Chesterfield Magistrates’ Court hearing on August 29.

Becky Allsop, prosecuting, said: “There have been 14 shop thefts and one theft from a motor vehicle between March 29 and August 27.

“The thefts speak for themselves with meat, drinks and other items stolen.

“In his police interview, he admitted committing the thefts because he was using alcohol and drugs to self-medicate for anxiety and he was stealing to fund that addiction.”

Mrs Allsop added the theft from the vehicle took place on Spencer Road, Buxton, when Joule stole a mobile phone, a wallet and cash and ID cards.

She said: “The owner left the wallet and mobile phone on the car seat and spoke to a friend for minutes and returned and they were missing.

“Police saw a male depositing items into a dustbin and these were an empty wallet and an empty phone holder.”

Joule pleaded guilty to 14 shop thefts after he struck at McColl’s six times, at Marks and Spencer, at Spring Gardens, five times, at Morrisons, on Bakewell Road, once, and at Lomas Foods, at Spring Gardens, twice.

He also pleaded guilty to stealing from a vehicle.

The defendant also admitted failing to comply with a community order by failing to attend with a probation officer after the order had been imposed on April 5 for previous thefts.

Joule was also sentenced for the five previous thefts including two from One Stop, at Fairfield, Buxton, one from Morrisons, at Chapel-en-le-Frith, one from McColl’s, at Spring Gardens, and one from Superdrug, at Spring Gardens.

Anise Rowlands, defending, said Joule has suffered following the death of a family friend, the loss of work and the breakdown of a relationship and he has become addicted to drugs, particularly heroin. Joule was sentenced to 34 weeks of custody and must pay £724.81 in compensation.