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COLIN FRENCH, WHO HAS SERVED NUMEROUS PRISON SENTENCES IN THE PAST, WAS BACK BEHIND BARS AFTER HIS LATEST OFFENCES SAW HIM TARGETING THE SUNGLASSES HUT AND TESCO 12:00, 09 Feb 2025 A

prolific thief has been jailed after he stole £500-worth of sunglasses and bacon whilst already on a suspended sentence. Colin French, who as jailed last year for shoplifting, was captured

on CCTV targeting the Sunglasses Hut and Tesco, both in Newcastle City Centre, within the space of 24 hours. The 26-year-old helped himself to £445-worth of sunglasses from the former and

£71.20-worth of bacon from the latter, a court heard. French, of Bedale Green, in Kenton, was already on a suspended sentence at the time of these offences and has now been jailed after he

admitted two counts of shop theft. Jonathan Moore, prosecuting at Newcastle Magistrates' Court, said French stole from the Sunglasses Hut on January 24 and Tesco on January 25. Mr Moore

continued: "Both incidents are captured on CCTV. Both offences were committed while he was subject to a suspended sentence, which was imposed last year." Alanna Wesencraft,

defending, said French accepted he'd relapsed into alcohol and drugs misuse. Ms Wesencraft added: "He's currently got a bleed on the brain and significant bruising on his

chest. He had to be taken to hospital when arrested." KEEP UP TO DATE WITH ALL THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS AND TOP STORIES FROM THE NORTH EAST WITH OUR FREE NEWSLETTER Jailing French for

12 weeks, District Judge Kate Meek said: "When the suspended sentence order was imposed, you would have been told that if you commit further offences, expect to go to prison. As part of

that order, you also had to stay out of retail premises. "Not only have gone into retail premises, you have also stolen from them. You also breached the order within a very short time

of it being imposed." Article continues below JOIN OUR WHATSAPP COMMUNITIES ChronicleLive is now on WhatsApp and we want you to join our communities. We have a number of communities to

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