Prison inmate arrested on same day he was due to be freed from jail

A man has been arrested immediately upon his release from prison for stealing goods from a Next delivery van.

Edward Walsh, 45, of Walton Lane, Liverpool, was apprehended as he left HMP Lancaster on September 27, the day he was due to be freed from a sentence for shoplifting.

Walsh and an unnamed accomplice were caught on CCTV taking clothes worth £2,339 from a parked vehicle outside Reiss on Stanley Street, near Next’s Church Street branch.

Some of the stolen items were later listed for sale on the second-hand website Vinted.

Charles Lander, prosecuting, described how Walsh and his accomplice were seen sitting on a nearby bench before the van was left unattended.

They then removed boxes from the rear of the vehicle.

Walsh has a total of 28 previous convictions for 45 offences, including 17 for theft.

This latest incident put him in breach of an eight-month suspended sentence order.

The suspended sentence was imposed for a burglary at Novotel on Hanover Street in March, where alcohol was taken, and a break-in at Baby E Coffee and Deli on Dale Street in February.

Jason Smith, defending, told the court: “It is quite clear that this is a defendant who has been abusing drugs for many, many years and quite sadly built up an addiction that he is struggling to deal with.”

“It is a great shame he did not engage with the order imposed in August this year.

“Quite simply, he had a dispute with his father, who he lived with, became homeless and relapsed.

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“He has made it clear to me that he wants to be free from his drug use and wants to live a more constructive, law-abiding life, where he does not find himself homeless and trapped in a cycle he cannot get out of.

“He has asked me whether I can ask for another chance, but it is clearly the end of the road in that respect.”

Walsh admitted theft from a motor vehicle and breaching a suspended sentence order.

Appearing via video link to HMP Liverpool, he was sentenced to a further eight months in prison.

Sentencing Walsh, Judge Brian Cummings KC said: “It is, I am afraid, a hugely aggravating factor that you have a long history of previous offences.

“I accept that drug addiction is at the root of your problems.

“That is why you were given a suspended sentence order and intensive supervision, which is not available at many crown courts.

“That was designed to put you through intensive work and supervision to help you to get off drugs, turn your life around and not commit further offences.

“I do understand that you lost your accommodation and went into a downward spiral.

“However it came about, you were unable to engage with that sentence and committed this further offence. You reoffended within the first month.”