Burnley crook with 200 convictions jailed (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Burnley crook with 200 convictions jailed

11:26am Friday 27th January 2012 in Crime news By Wendy Barlow, Court reporter

A PROLIFIC crook who has repeatedly stolen to fund his heroin habit is back behind bars after a judge dubbed him a ‘menace to shopkeepers’.

Burnley Crown Court heard how Stephen O’Callaghan, 37, had a criminal record which ran to 29 pages, more than 200 convictions, and was on a suspended jail term when he stole a £14 facial serum, this time for his partner.

O’Callaghan, who is from Burnley and has committed much of his crime there, had been on a drugs treatment course, was said to have been making progress.

He blamed his drug addict girlfriend for leading him back to crime.

She is also currently in jail.

The defendant, now of Stonyhurst Road, Blackburn, had admitted theft in breach of the suspended term and was locked up for 28 days.

He had been committed to crown court for sentencing by magistrates.

The hearing was told O’Callaghan had previously received 26 weeks in custody, suspended for 18 months, with supervision and a drugs programme for possessing an offensive weapon, when he had brandished a knife in a street ‘play fight’.

Last August, he had was given a community order with another drugs course, which ran until next month.

Daniel Prowse, for O’Callaghan, said he recognised he would be going to prison.

Mr Prowse said the defendent’s pre-sentence report stated a short time in prison would stabilise him on methadone.

He did not want his girlfriend living with him on her release because he believed it was because of her he had relapsed and re-offended.

Sentencing, Judge Beverley Lunt said O’Callaghan had at least been attending the drugs programme, but it didn’t seem to have helped.

She continued: “But then nothing will until you decide to stop using drugs.

“You are just a menace to shopkeepers. It's got to be prison.”