A “PROLIFIC offender” who stole an electric bike from a fast-food restaurant has finally been sent to prison after he committed three more thefts in just a month.

Jack Prendiville had been given a suspended sentence after stealing the £300 e-bike from one of Swindon’s branches of Nando’s on December 20, 2021.

He was also told to abide by a list of conditions following sentencing on February 2, including a drug rehabilitation requirement and rehabilitation activity days.

But Swindon Magistrates’ Court heard on Monday morning that the 38-year-old failed to keep to those terms, failing to report to appointments with the probation service on February 7 and March 3, as well as committing three further thefts.

He stole £24 of cleaning products from Wilko on March 10, £201 of cleaning products from the same store eight days later, and £100 of clothing from Footasylum last Monday (April 18).

Prosecutor Keith Ballinger told the court that on each occasion, he “made no attempt to pay”, is “identified by staff on CCTV and has refused to be interviewed”.

Duty solicitor Charlotte Frizzell told the court that Prendiville, in the court’s cells having been arrested, was too unwell to be brought up into the dock but she had been instructed to enter guilty pleas in his absence.

“It is clear looking at the probation report that he has struggled with heroin and crack cocaine addiction for a very long time,” she told magistrates.

“His offending is due to his addiction. He is stealing to sell and then buy crack cocaine and heroin.

“All I can ask is for leniency for any further custodial sentence you impose for the shoplifting.”

She added that “it doesn’t look like” Prendiville is living at the council-approved premises given to the court, on Queens Drive, and was most likely homeless.

Magistrates took a dim view of the suspended sentence breach.

Chairman of the bench, Jane Flew, said: “We note this is extremely recent, imposed for serious offences and he has not complied with it in any shape or form. We are going to activate it.

“Dealing with the three separate thefts, this is a man who is a prolific offender with numerous thefts against him.”

Ms Flew labelled them “unsophisticated thefts of low to moderate value”.

The suspended sentence, of 26 weeks initially imposed for theft and driving whilst disqualified, was activated in full, with a further week given for each of the three thefts.