A CHEESE and bacon thief has been jailed for nine months following a stealing spree at shops in the Spen Valley, while another has been slapped with a 12 month banning order.

Roland Lister, 42, was jailed for 12 weeks on April 27, admitted four counts of theft and four counts of breaching a criminal behaviour order at Kirklees Magistrates’ Court.

Lister, of Providence Street, Cleckheaton, pleaded guilty to his crime spree, targeting three Co-operative stores over a two-month period earlier this year.

On February 28, he stole £110 worth of coffee, bacon, meat and butter from the Co-op in Birstall, breaching a criminal behaviour order banning him from entering Co-op stores in the process.

Lister struck again on March 28 at the Co-op petrol station in Gomersal, where he stole cheese and tuna worth £97, also breaching his behaviour order.

His next offence was on April 11 at the same location, when he stole butter, cheese, meat and biscuits, and then he stole on April 26 at Drighlington’s Co-op, taking £65 worth of cheese and meat.

Magistrates jailed Lister for 36 weeks for his offending, saying the offending was serious “because the defendant has a flagrant disregard for people and their property”, and was also ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £156.

Also in court pleading guilty to stealing cheese was 36-year-old Paul Barraclough of Wycliffe Gardens, Shipley, who admitted three offences of theft on April 13 at Kirklees Magistrates’ Court.

His first offence was on May 27, 2020, at B&M in Dewsbury, where he stole two Oral B toothbrushes, cheese, cans of lager and a box of Bold washing detergent worth £53.98.

The second theft occurred on June 16, 2020, at the same B&M store, when he stole two Toni & Guy hair stylers worth £53.98. He then struck a day later at Asda in Dewsbury, where he stole two Oral B toothbrushes worth £70.

After admitting the offending, he was handed a community order banning him from entering either store for the next 12 months, and to take part in 20 rehabilitation activity days. He was also ordered to pay £107.96 in compensation to B&M, and to pay £85 in costs.

A third man was due in court, at Bradford and Keighley Magistrates’ Court, charged with stealing almost £39 worth of cheese from B&M on February 29, 2020.

Richard Leighton, 52, of Undercliffe Road, Eccleshill, was due in court on May 10 to answer for his crimes but did not turn up. He had pleaded not guilty but the case was found proven in his absence, and a warrant was issued for his arrest without bail.