A PROLIFIC shoplifter has been jailed for two years.

Ben Green, 30, of no fixed abode, who has 30 convictions for 73 offences, appeared before Bradford Crown Court yesterday to be sentenced.

Prosecutor Sohail Khan said one of the offences unfolded in the early hours of Friday, June 1.

A 60-year-old man – who was later to become the victim of Green and his associate – was in the Bradford Arms on Manningham Lane when the pair entered the bar area and tried to sell some steak to him and other people.

He tried to ignore them and told them he was not interested.

The man left the pub at around 1am and was on his way to a cash machine when the two men approached him again, asking him if he wanted any steak. He said he was not interested and went on to the cash machine to draw out £200. The pair approached again and one, which the Crown said was Green, snatched the money from the machine and ran off down Manningham Lane.

The victim ran after Green and managed to get catch up with him before hitting him in the face and trying to get his money back.

A group of males then managed to keep hold of Green, who said the other man had the money, until police arrived.

He was then arrested and drugs paraphernalia was found on him.

On June 23, while on bail for that offence, he struck with an accomplice at a Farmfoods store in Halifax.

Mr Khan said Green first stole some meat and then returned to the store later that evening. His accomplice attempted to unsuccessfully smash the window with his hand, before Green returned with a boulder to complete the job.

Jars of coffee and a laptop were stolen, with around £1,500 of damage caused to the window.

Then on June 27, Green struck at Carlton United Reformed Church, swiping a purse and using a bank card to make a number of contactless payments.

Julian White, for Green, said he would be “doomed” if he did not improve his behaviour and that he needed to recognise that he had to put his own life right.

Sentencing him to two years’ imprisonment, Judge Neil Davey QC said he hoped Green would be able to take advantage of help to kick his drug addiction which had caused him to “commit offence after offence”.

He admitted all the offences and was given two years for the Farmfoods burglary and six months for the three theft offences, to run concurrently to each other, and concurrently to the two-year sentence.