A thief who burgled garages in Melksham and took cars which he then drove around west Wiltshire has been jailed for 15 months.

As well as stealing cash Bradley Walmsley pinched car keys and took vehicles off the forecourt for a spin, returning them to where they came from.

After hearing the 22-year-old had repeatedly failed on a community order for other matters a judge said he had no choice but to jail him.

Mark Ashley, prosecuting, told Swindon Crown Court how the first raid took place at Auto Tech in Melksham at the end of September last year.

Having got in through the roof Walmsley, who was accompanied by a 17-year-old boy, took cash, a camera and keys to a Ford Focus, which was driven away and spotted on traffic cameras being driven around Trowbridge, before being returned to the forecourt.

He also took keys to a Citroen C1, which was taken for a spin ten days later before again being put back where it had been parked.

Forensic examination of the vehicles found fingerprints belonging to Walmsley and the youth inside, as well as stolen registration plates.

A few days after the first raid Edwards Garage, across the road, was broken in to and the keys to a Renault Megane were taken.

It was taken that night and again a week later, each time being put back on the forecourt.

Around the same time Walmsley had a number of stolen cheques made out to himself as well as friends and family.

Mr Ashley said he had been questioned over those matters when he was caught in the Turnpike Garage, Bowerhill, on September 28 this year.

Police were called shortly before 3am, he said, and found the defendant and another person in offices at the rear of the building.

Walmsley, of Sparrow Street, Trowbridge, pleaded guilty to three burglaries, handling stolen goods, taking without consent and no insurance.

The court heard he was on a community order for criminal damage from March last year but had been breached by probation for the fourth time, having not done unpaid work.

Caighli Taylor, defending, said Walmsley had little recollection of the earlier incidents as he was drinking a lot at the time.

She said he had lived an unstructured and chaotic adult life after a terrible childhood and could not explain the offending.

Jailing him Judge Jason Taylor QC said "You have a poor history of compliance with court orders which leaves me with very little choice today."

The 17-year-old boy involved in the offences was dealt with at an earlier hearing at Salisbury Crown Court, where he pleaded guilty to theft and being carried in a motor vehicle taken without the owner’s consent and was referred to Wiltshire Youth Offender Panel for 12 months, ordered to pay costs of £85 and a victim surcharge of £20.

Det Con Kevin Golledge said: “Walmesley and the 17-year-old used the vehicles to essentially joy ride around west Wiltshire.

“Their actions caused distress and inconvenience to a number of people and I am pleased that we have been able to conclude the investigation and put them before the courts.”