THIEF Joshua Earwaker was jailed for six months on Thursday, after admitting he snatched £250 worth of electricity top-up cards from the Spar shop in Ely. Earwaker, 21, was already subject to a six-month suspended sentence when he stole the cards from the

THIEF Joshua Earwaker was jailed for six months on Thursday, after admitting he snatched £250 worth of electricity top-up cards from the Spar shop in Ely.

Earwaker, 21, was already subject to a six-month suspended sentence when he stole the cards from the High Street premises.

"The bench has no alternative but to invoke that period of imprisonment that was suspended," he was told by presiding magistrate Mary Rone at Ely Magistrates' Court on Thursday.

Prosecuting, Flynn Jennings told how Earwaker, of Clayway, Ely, went into the Spar shop on May 27, and asked the assistant for some items.

"She turned her back, and saw him lean over the counter and take a bundle of electricity top up cards worth £250," he said.

The court was told that Earwaker was complying with his 150-hour community work order.

Asking the magistrate not to jail Earwaker but give him extra work hours, solicitor Adam Hazelburst said his client had recently obtained his own flat and was looking for work.

"He committed the offence on the spur of the moment, he is not entirely sure why," he added. "When he was told that the police were after them, he burned the cards."

As well as invoking Earwaker's six month suspended sentence, the magistrates gave him an extra two month concurrent sentence for stealing the top-up cards. His community work order was revoked.