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Drug user stole to pay debts SHOPLIFTER Daniel Gillett was so desperate to pay off his drug debts that he targeted two Ely stores within a week, city magistrates were told. Gillett, 21, stole a £249.99 flat screen TV from Tesco on June 29, and six days la

Drug user stole to pay debts

SHOPLIFTER Daniel Gillett was so desperate to pay off his drug debts that he targeted two Ely stores within a week, city magistrates were told.

Gillett, 21, stole a £249.99 flat screen TV from Tesco on June 29, and six days later stole a sleeping bag, two TV scart leads and a remote control from Argos.

Gillett, of Friars Place, Littleport, was on bail at the time of those offences, he had previously admitted seven thefts, one attempted theft, resisting a police officer and breaching an earlier conditional discharge.

Appearing at Ely courthouse for sentencing on Thursday, solicitor Michael Judkins said Gillett had not taken heroin since he appeared before the court on May 11, and had got a job. The thefts at Tesco and Argos were committed when Gillett was pressured to pay off drug debts, he said, they were not committed to fund his drug habit.

Gillett was given a two-year community order with supervision from the probation service, and must take part in a substance abuse programme. He was fined a total of £125 and told to pay £50 costs.

"We have put our trust in you, don't let us down," said presiding magistrate Hamish Ross.

Warrant issued

A WARRANT was issued for the arrest of Chettisham man Marcus Bond when he failed to turn up at Ely courthouse on Thursday.

Bond, 26, of Lynn Road, is accused of drink-driving on June 1, giving a breath test reading double the legal alcohol limit after driving a red Rover Cabriolet in Cambridge, and failing to attend Cambridge Magistrates' Court on June 6.

He is further accused of driving without a licence or insurance, failing to produce insurance certificate and driving a Rover 216 with a defective tyre on October 10 last year.

Bank theft

THE sentencing of Littleport man Adrian Powell, who admitted stealing a total of £650, has been adjourned for three weeks by Ely magistrates. Powell, 31, of Station Road, stole £200 from The Royal Bank of Scotland Group, Nat West PLC, in Littleport on April 17. He stole £250 from the same bank in Cambridge on April 22, and another £200 from the bank in Ely on April 22.

Burglary charge

TWO men charged with committing a burglary at the D S Smith Corrugated factory in Burwell have appeared before a court.

John Hughes, 29, of Murfitt Way, Gamlingay; and Albert Smith, 50, of Myers Road, Potton, are alleged to have broken into the premises on June 5 with intent to steal. Their case was adjourned until July 25 by Ely magistrates on Thursday.

Sentence delay

THE sentencing of Stretham man Simon Tietz was adjourned for four weeks by Ely magistrates on Thursday. Tietz, 26, of Newmarket Road, has admitted breaching his 12-month community order, imposed back in February for an offence of possessing a Class A drug.

He breached the order by missing appointments with the probation service on May 7 and 14.

Unfit to drive trial

SUTTON man Carl Bond is to face trial at Ely courthouse on October 19, after denying an allegation of driving when unfit through drink or drugs.

Bond, 24, of The Brook, is alleged to have committed the offence when driving a Rover 214 in High Barns at Ely on January 6.