A regular thief who broke into cars around Swindon and stole over £2000 was shocked to learn what he had done.

Kirk Ayres, of Whitworth Road in Swindon, is no stranger to Swindon Magistrate’s Court and had last appeared on July 31 and was given a 12-week suspended prison sentence.

But just 12 days after the sentence was imposed, the 42-year-old was arrested again for breaking into cars and stealing thousands.

On September 18, 2024, Swindon Magistrate’s Court heard how Ayres had been seen on CCTV in the early hours of August 12 breaking into cars around Swindon.

“He was seen going up to the vehicles and he often left the lights on or the glove box open,” said prosecutor Abby Wynters.

“In one of the vehicles which was a Honda Civic he found a woman’s handbag which he stole as well as personal items such as designer sunglasses.

“This is where he obtained the woman’s bank cards and used them at various shops in Swindon.”

Kirk Ayres is a familiar face at Swindon Magistrate's CourtKirk Ayres has little recollection of his crimes (Image: Wiltshire Police) In total, Ayres stole £2278 from the Honda, and also stole a bike worth £50 in a separate offence.

He was charged with four counts of vehicle interference, two counts of theft and two counts of fraud, and pleaded guilty to all.

But the prolific thief told the court he barely remembered committing the crimes.

“He doesn’t have much recollection of what happened and he was staggered to hear the value of the items he stole,” said defence lawyer Harriet Herd.

“He said he wanted to go to prison.

“He has managed to detox from drugs himself but he still wants more time to detox - he wants a fresh start.”

Kirk Ayres is a familiar face at Swindon Magistrate's CourtKirk Ayres is a familiar face at Swindon Magistrate's Court (Image: Newsquest) Before his court appearance on September 18, Ayres had previously appeared on July 31 for the theft of a £4,000 hydraulic breaker, three counts of vehicle interference, failing to surrender to court bail on June 5 after being released on bail in May and possessing cocaine. 

In February he was sentenced to two months in prison for using stolen credit cards belonging to two people, vehicle interference, theft from a motor vehicle and driving a vehicle dangerously in separate offences dating back to September 2023. 

This was after a warrant for his arrest was issued for breach of a community order, with officers arresting him on February 8.

After his latest crimes, Ayres has now been sentenced by District Judge Apted to 36 weeks imprisonment and a £137 surcharge.

However, there was no order for him to pay any court costs or compensation to the victims.