A thief broke into a store and stole a charity box – just days after appearing in court for the same offence.
Jonathan Blundell smashed a coffee shop window with a brick before climbing inside and swiping a box of donations from the counter.
The break-in at Costa Coffee, in Main Street, Bulwell, took place on Wednesday (5 June) around 1.30am, with the thief then fleeing into the night.
Having taken the charity box, Blundell returned to the shop twice more over the next couple of hours, before eventually leaving with an empty till.
Following the burglary, which wasn’t reported until later that morning, he made two trips to Poundland, in Springfield Retail Park, Bulwell, to steal items.
After being challenged on his second visit that day, around 3pm, Blundell pulled out a syringe from his pocket and threatened staff with it, before leaving the store.
Police caught up with the 35-year-old hours later, at which point he was also linked to another theft from the store on 28 May, where a staff member was assaulted.
Blundell’s thieving on 5 June came just under a week after he was caught carrying out a separate burglary in which he again tried to steal charity boxes.
This one happened in the early hours of 29 May and saw him smash the window of a Wetherspoon pub, in Carlton Street, Nottingham city centre.
The pub manager then disturbed Blundell as he tried to leave with three collection boxes in his arms, which had all been chained to the bar before he broke them off.
Blundell, of no fixed address, received a seven-month prison sentence, suspended for 12 months, for this offence when he appeared at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court on 30 May.
He found himself before the same court again on Friday (7 June), having this time been charged with burglary, three counts of theft, and two counts of assault.
Having pleaded guilty to the charges, he was jailed for 13 months.
Inspector Paul Ferguson, neighbourhood inspector for the city north area, said: “Blundell once again demonstrated his true colours by taking the disgraceful decision to break into a property and steal charity donations.
“It absolutely beggars belief that anyone would think to stoop so low, with his shameless actions being made even worse by the fact it wasn’t even the first time he’d done something like this.
“Despite being hauled before the courts for stealing charity boxes little more than a week earlier, Blundell clearly didn’t care that what he had done was wrong, so repeated the offence.
“He was also behind a series of shop thefts around that time too, which he compounded further by threatening one member of staff and assaulting another.
“It really should go without saying but Blundell’s behaviour is absolutely nowhere near what is acceptable, so we’re pleased to see he has now been locked up.”
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