Thief went to victim's house to apologise for stealing laptop only to steal the replacement

Thief Ivan Barker has been jailed for stealing from a disabled man – while visiting him to apologise for a previous theft. Stoke-on-Trent Magistrates' Court heard Barker, aged 21, had stolen a laptop and a large number of cigarettes from wheelchair-bound Jean Jacque Mathely, who he would regularly visit. A few months after the original theft, Barker called at Mr Mathely's home in Viscount Walk, Meir, and stole his new laptop and more cigarettes.

Sue Hayers, prosecuting, said: "The injured party answered a knock at the door. He saw the defendant, who had previously been convicted of a similar offence of theft from the injured party, standing outside. The defendant said the police had asked him to visit to apologise to him for the previous offence. He initially believed the apology was genuine and let him in. They had a conversation, and the injured party went to the toilet. He then hears the defendant shout to him that he's leaving.



"When the injured party went back into the living room he noticed the drawer on his computer desk was open and his laptop was missing. The defendant had also taken two 100 packs of cigarettes." The court heard Mr Mathely bought the computer for £200 shortly before Barker stole it on November 20. When he was arrested, Barker told police he had genuinely gone to Mr Mathely's house to apologise, but while he was there "started stressing" and needed a drink. He said he took the computer and sold it for £30.

Barker pleaded guilty to theft. Gary Corbett, mitigating, said: "The defendant had been drinking to excess and taking cocaine before he went to the address. This was an opportunistic offence, he didn't go there with the intention to steal these items." Mr Corbett said Barker had made an effort to cut down on his drinking since the incident. "He has gone from drinking every day to only four times a week, and not to excess," he said. Magistrates sentenced Barker to 16 weeks in prison.