A PROLIFIC thief branded as a “career criminal” stole from a church, a Subway and a cafe in Oldham in the space of nine days.
Jamie Lee Dickinson, of Huddersfield Road, Oldham, broke into United Reform Church on Union Street overnight on November 24 last year.
At 10am the following day, it was discovered that a stained glass window had been smashed and inside cupboards had been opened.
Dickinson had used a crowbar during the burglary, which left the church with a cost of £600 to replace the stained glass.
United Reformed Church on Union Street in Oldham (Picture: Google Maps)
At Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court, Laura Broome, prosecuting, said the church congregation suffered as a result of the burglary, which was the fourth time it has been broken into.
In another burglary at the Subway store on Huddersfield Road in Oldham, in the early hours of November 26, Dickinson forced his way in, stealing £100 from the till.
CCTV caught him on camera during the incident, in which he caused £370 of damage to a window and £150 to the till.
The Subway shop on Huddersfield Road in Oldham (Picture: Google Maps)
Then, overnight on December 1, Dickinson smashed his way into the Blue Onion cafe on Henshaw Street.
Extensive damage was caused to the shutter and money was stolen from the property, which had been ransacked.
The owner said the break-in had a “large financial impact” on his business.
Ms Broome added that Dickinson, 38, had 65 convictions for 134 offences with many of them for theft-related incidents.
The Blue Onion cafe on Henshaw Street in Oldham (Picture: Google Maps)
Defending, Keith Jones, said Dickinson, who has children, accepted the crimes he had committed and admitted to the police how he carried them out.
He added he had difficulty in relationships and drug addiction, which he is attending sessions for.
Judge Tina Landale appreciated that he admitted his guilt but said she must sentence him to prison for the burglaries.
She told him: “It appears that you are a career criminal and these three offences are serious because of the upset and the damage they have caused.”
The judge urged him to carry on attending the sessions to treat his drug addiction to help him turn his life around.
Dickinson was jailed for three years.
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