A shoplifter who stole on the very same day he was given a suspended sentence has been sent to prison for a year.

John Bell, 28, of Sybil Street, off Brook Street, Carlisle, repeatedly stole from shops in the city centre, even though he was banned from entering them under a criminal behaviour order (CBO).

On Thursday, December 22, magistrates imposed a 36-week suspended sentence on Bell after he pleaded guilty to six counts of flouting a CBO by entering city centre retail premises and three thefts, carried out jointly with a woman.

When he then appeared back in court on Thursday, January 26, charged with breaching a CBO and stealing from Poundland, magistrates added a further six weeks onto his suspended sentence.

He appeared in North and West Magistrates' Court in Carlisle on Tuesday and pleaded guilty to the following charges: theft from Sainsbury's on Friday, January 6; breach of CBO on Saturday, January 7; theft from Iceland on the same day; theft from Stormfront on Wednesday, January 25; and breaching his curfew twice.

Mr Bell initially pleaded not guilty to stealing from Iceland and breaching the CBO and curfew, but later changed his plea to guilty for all charges.

In the theft from Sainsbury's on Friday, January 6, Bell put cheeses and meats in his partner's bag. His partner then left the shop with the bag of stolen goods.

The next day he stole items worth £13.98 from Iceland. Later in January, he stole headphones from Stormfront.

John Moran, prosecuting, said after magistrates gave Bell another suspended sentence he stole again on the same day, taking meat and cheese worth £63.35 from Sainsbury's.

Sarah Budniak, defending, said Mr Bell and his partner had experienced some very unfortunate circumstances.

Their benefit lapsed so they didn't receive any for six weeks and they had no friends or family to support them.

Miss Budniak also told the court how the couple were trying to kick their drug addiction and were currently not using illegal drugs.

She said: "If [my client] is sent to prison today, he does plan on making a fresh start when he's released."

District Judge Gerald Chalk told Bell that a suspended sentence is supposed to be a final chance.

He said: "I'm sending you to prison for a total period of 52 weeks. You will spend half of that in prison and half in the community."

Bell was given 10 weeks for the four theft offences, breaching the CBO and unpaid fines owed to the court.

The other 42 weeks were imposed from the suspended sentence, taking the total time to 52 weeks.