A prolific thief has been jailed after repeatedly stealing petrol from service stations across Northumberland.
John Walton, of Avebury Place, Blyth, has been sentenced to time behind bars after committing a number of petrol thefts in Blyth, Ashington and Morpeth. His deceit involved him pretending to have forgotten his wallet or bank card, then never returning to pay.
On July 5, Walton was arrested after officers built a strong evidential case against him and he was quickly charged with eight counts of making off without payment.
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The 33-year-old, who was also wanted on warrant after failing to appear at court for a previous offence, appeared before Bedlington magistrates and pleaded guilty to all offences. He was subsequently jailed for 12 weeks.
Neighbourhood Sergeant Paul Davis, of Northumbria Police, said: “It is clear that Walton has shown a total disregard for the law on several occasions and thought he could continue his ruse to repeatedly offend.
“He has deceived staff multiple times however, thanks to a great case put together by the Ashington and Bedlington Neighbourhood Policing Teams, Walton has now faced the consequences of his actions.
“Our Neighbourhood Officers are committed to remaining embedded within the communities we serve to continue to protect the public and bring anyone involved in any form of criminality before the courts.”
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