A SERIAL shoplifter was caught after he returned to a York city centre shop less than three hours after raiding it.

Darren O’Donnell was spotted stealing a jacket from Superdry’s store in Davygate, York, at 11am on April 17, said Sarah Tyrer, prosecuting at York Magistrates' Court.

He got away with the coat, but his actions had been caught on CCTV.

When he returned at 1.45pm, staff recognised him and the shop manager told him to leave.

She also put out a warning about him on the city centre wide anti-shoplifter message system. Street rangers caught up with O’Donnell in Coney Street.

He told them: “If I tell you where the coat is, can I go?”

But rangers declined to leave him and stayed with him until police arrived. He refused to say anything when interviewed by police. The coat has never been recovered. It was worth £171, said Ms Tyrer.

O'Donnell  was on a community order which had been imposed in February for a shop theft committed when he was on an earlier community order, also imposed for shop thefts.

O’Donnell, 38, of Fossway, off Malton Road, York, pleaded guilty to stealing the jacket from Superdry.

The community order was revoked and he was sentenced to 18 weeks’ imprisonment suspended for 18 months on condition he does six months’ drug rehabilitation with regular drug tests and 20 days rehabilitative activities. He must also pay £171.24 compensation to Superdry.

He has a long record of previous convictions.

Defence solicitor Liam Jackson said O’Donnell had a long-standing heavy addiction to heroin. He was also suffering from depression for which he was receiving medication.

Over the years, he had run up drug debts. “He has committed these offences, many of them to pay for drug debts," said the solicitor.

But he no longer owed money to drug dealers.

“He no longer has drug debts, thanks to the generosity of a long-time friend,” said Mr Jackson. “Once the drugs are out of his system, the offending will disappear.”

He was motivated to tackle his drug problem and was enjoying the work he was doing with the probation service to kick his habit.

A probation officer told the court O’Donnell had initially had problems working with probation officers but was now doing better than he had in the past.

York Magistrates' Court heard that the community order O’Donnell got in February 2023 included six months’ drug rehabilitation treatment and 20 days’ rehabilitative activities. So far he had done four of the 20 days.