A serial shoplifter who was briefly banned from the town centre has been back in court.

Conway Sims, of Spring Close, has been sentenced for several thefts.

On September 20, the 28-year-old pleaded guilty to stealing £10 headphones from Primark, £15.99 worth of Pokemon cards from HMV, and four other packets of Pokemon cards worth a total of £20 from WH Smith on Regent Street on September 18.

He then stole more Pokemon cards worth £77.22 from Waterstones on September 25.

Want to see fewer adverts and more exclusives on the Advertiser? Become a digital subscriber now for just £5 for five months

Sims was previously banned from entering the town centre as part of his bail conditions, but has since returned to Swindon Magistrates Court for sentencing.

The defendant received a community order requiring him to carry out six months of drug rehabilitation.

There was no order to pay court costs or compensation.

Sims previously appeared in court in 2017 because he tried to rob a pubgoer at knifepoint while on bail for a similar incident, as well as in 2016 for shoplifting, and committed an armed robbery around the same time.

He had been told by the courts on more than one occasion that he was on his 'last chance' to avoid jail.