A 36 year old man who plundered a charity shop to get money for his heroin addiction was jailed for two and a half years.

Sean Mayer's burglary of the Longfield charity shop in Gloucester was the latest in a long record of scores of criminal offences, Gloucester crown court was told.

The raid cost the charity more than £800, said prosecutor Caighli Taylor.

Mayer, of Wilkes Avenue, Hucclecote, committed the offence after spending £12,000 that he received in compensation for being wrongly detained for 185 days longer than he should have been after receiving a 19 months jail term in 2016, the court heard.

That was for an offence of dangerous driving at high speeds round the city streets whilst high on cocaine, said his lawyer, Joe Maloney.

"The compensation money went very quickly," the lawyer said. "He gave £5,000 to family.

"The rest? Well, he accepts he has a significant heroin problem."

Mayer admitted burglary of a Longfield Charity Shop between 1st and 2nd October last year.

The prosecutor said "The defendant went onto a flat roof and smashed an upstairs window.

"He went straight to a security camera and disconnected it.

"He searched under a desk where the safe used to be. It had been moved since a previous break in."

Ms Taylor said Mayer left his DNA on a stool in the office.

He took a laptop from that office, then forced open a locked cabinet taking the cash float, donations, a second laptop and jewellery.

He left through same upstairs window.

In total the value of items taken were valued at £837.23.

"This was their third break in in ten months," the prosecutor said. "The laptops were replacements from previous break ins.

"By very nature, charity shops have limited income and resources," the barrister said.

Judge Cullum agreed saying: "Two laptops to a shop like this is a significant loss."

The court heard Mayer had 48 previous convictions for 142 offences on his record.

Ms Taylor said burglaries, both commercial and of dwellings were 'throughout his list'.

Mr Maloney said "He was not involved by himself, but he is not able to name his accomplice.

"He did not get the full benefit of the items taken."

Mr Maloney said his client 'fully accepts the gravity of the offence'.

"He is someone who wants to address his drug addiction," the lawyer said.

"He has an entrenched history of previous offences, that would be no simple task."

He described his client as being in very poor heath.

"He has psoriasis and his body is full of sores, he goes to hospital twice a week for ultra violet treatment."

Imposing the thirty month jail term, Judge Cullum described Mayer's record as 'shocking'.

He attributed Mayers offending as seeking to feed his heroin addiction through dishonesty.

He described the burglary as 'a particularly serious example'.

"It would be a significant loss to the charity shop.

"You say you were one of two. You were seen going to disconnect a camera.

"It is quite clear there was a significant degree of planning," the judge ruled.

The judge said the range of aggravating features in the case moved it up through the sentencing guideline range, which would usually have a starting point of two years for this offence.