A RECOVERED drug addict was sentenced to six months in jail for stealing more than £2,000 worth of clothing.

Daniel Shearing, 32, of Rectory Road, Hook was sentenced at Winchester Crown Court on Friday, 6 October after pleading guilty to one count of theft, one count of driving while disqualified, one count of failing to stop, one count of driving without insurance and breach of a suspended sentence.

The court heard how on September 8, Shearing entered Mole Country Stores, in Joule Road, Andover and grabbed 12 Barbour jackets, to the value of £2,648 and tried to run out of the store before he was apprehended by staff.

Eight days later, whilst on bail, the 32-year-old was caught by police driving a motor vehicle despite being disqualified from driving until January 2019. The court heard that when he was instructed to stop, he drove off at speed before later being arrested.

Defending, Barry McElduff told the court that Shearing was clean of drugs after two years of rehabilitation, and this incident had come following a family bereavement.

Mr McElduff said: “He went off the rails for a 10 day period, even attempting to take his own life.”

In sentencing, Judge Jane Miller QC told the court she had taken into account the breach of the suspended sentence which was given to the defendant in January 2016 and the previous convictions he had relating to theft.

Judge Miller said: “I cannot rightly ignore what you have done as it would be giving you one chance too many.”

Shearing was sentenced to three months in jail for the theft of the Barbour jackets, two months for the breach of suspended sentence and two months for the driving offences, which will run concurrently.

The defendant will serve three months in jail and three months on licence.