Shorter jail term for thief with new baby

A TEENAGE dad who stole thousands of pounds worth of equipment from the King's School in Ely was jailed for six months on Thursday.

Lewis Harvey still had two stolen projectors and a laptop computer in his car when police stopped him two days after the burglary.

And Harvey, who left footprints behind when he broke into the school's junior science block, also had some cannabis in his vehicle, city magistrates were told on Thursday.

Nineteen-year-old Harvey, of New Barns Avenue, Ely, had previously denied committing the burglary at the school on June 9, driving without insurance or a licence, and possessing the Class C drug.

But this week solicitor Jacqui Baldwin said Harvey had only denied the offences as a tactic to make sure he was free to see his baby being born earlier this month. He changed his pleas, and further admitted he had damaged a door belonging to Hereward Housing on August 18.

Prosecuting, Yetunde Fawehinmi said Harvey stole two projectors worth £1,000 each from the school, along with an £850 laptop computer.

Police called a domestic dispute at Harvey's home on August 18 found a door had been damaged, it cost £80 to repair.

Asking the magistrates to impose only a short custodial sentence, Miss Baldwin said: "He takes his commitment to his partner and child very seriously."

Harvey admitted he was in breach of a three-month suspended prison sentence by missing three unpaid work sessions, so that sentence was activated, along with a further three month-sentence for the burglary. He was banned from driving for 18 months.

Magistrates' chairman Janet South told Harvey: "You are a young man with a supportive partner and a young baby.

"Once you have served your sentence you will have a clean sheet and we hope you will take the opportunity to rebuild your life.