A WEST Cumbrian shoplifter who added another theft to his 132 previous convictions for stealing was spared from jail - because he is “working well” with the Probation Service.

Colin Orr, 53, committed his latest crimes on February 27 after walking into two Workington stores from which he is banned. He stole sun cream worth £101 from one of them.

He was also accused of stealing meat worth £223 from Marks & Spencer but the prosecution withdrew that allegation.

The defendant, of Blackburn Street, Workington, admitted one theft and twice breaching his criminal behaviour order, which bans him from dozens of town centre shops.

At Carlisle’s Rickergate court, prosecutor George Shelley described how Orr - in defiance the criminal behaviour order - walked in the M&S store in Pow Street at 9.30am, but he was quickly approached by the manager.

The manager recognised and spoke to the defendant, reminding him that he was not allowed into the store.

The alleged theft in M&S related to 15 joints of beef.

Ten minutes after leaving that store, Orr walked into Savers in Murray Road, Workington, where he collected “numerous” bottles of Nivea sun cream before leaving without making any attempt to pay.

The following day, when arrested, Orr told the police officer: “I haven’t stolen anything.”

Mr Shelley said that the defendant’s criminal record consists of 228 previous offences, and this includes 22 previous breaches of his criminal behaviour order and 132 thefts and kindred offences.

In October last year, he was given 15 weeks jail for five breaches of the order and five thefts.

Duncan Campbell, defending, said it would be easy to assume the defendant deliberately ignored his criminal behaviour order, given his numerous previous breaches.

But the offences on February 27 resulted from Orr’s mistaken belief that the current order had expired, said the lawyer.

“He was told the order comes to an end in 2024,” said Mr Campbell. However, the order will remain in force until June 27 of this year, the court heard.

Mr Campbell continued: “It was not deliberate; he thought it had finished.

"Sending him to prison is going to do no good whatsoever. The prisons are already overcrowded.” The lawyer said Probation Service staff had confirmed that Orr was now “doing well” following his release from jail.

He urged magistrates to impose a sentence that allowed Orr to build on that progress. “Hopefully, that will lead to a break in the pattern of offending," he said.

A probation worker in court confirmed that the defendant was released from jail on November 9 last year and his engagement was so good that, in spite of the latest offences, it was decided he should not go back to jail.

She suggested he could take a “Thinking Skills” course to improve his problem solving and his consequential thinking. Unpaid work and a curfew would not be appropriate, she added.

Magistrates noted Orr's cooperation with probation supervision, saying that positive development meant they could step away a prison term. 

They imposed a 12-month community order which includes 10 rehabilitation activity days, with a Thinking Skills course and, as punishment, a £120 fine. Orr must pay a £114 victim surcharge and compensation of £101 to Savers.