A SERIAL shoplifter has been jailed for stealing alcohol and skin care products – just two months after his last prison sentence.

Martin Morgan, 35, of Whitworth Road, was given an 18 month sentence by Swindon magistrates after pleading guilty to stealing alcohol from the Gorse Hill Co-op, skin care products from Boots and booze from the town centre Marks and Spencer.

PC Paul Bezzant of Wiltshire Police said: "This is a good result as this man is a prolific offender causing no end of problems for hard working people and businesses in the town.

"He has only recently come out of prison but obviously has not learnt his lesson.

"Hopefully these 18-weeks will give him time to reflect and will allow businesses, already hit by the current lockdown, some respite from his actions."

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Martin Morgan's custody shot Picture: WILTSHIRE POLICE

Morgan has had a busy year before the Swindon magistrates.

In March, when he had fewer than 150 theft offences to his name, Morgan was spared an immediate prison sentence after he admitted stealing from M&S and Waitrose.

He was jailed at the end of May for more shop thefts.

Back before the magistrates in August, he was told JPs had seriously considered jailing him – and answered “I don’t blame ya”.

Four days later, he was back in the dock to admit stealing gin from Tesco and taking candles and a reed diffuser from House of Fraser. He vociferously protested one of the charges, saying the Yankee candles he’d taken from the department store were not worth £40, as prosecutors claimed, but had been on sale. “It was a reduced price,” he said. Magistrates sentenced him to 18 weeks’ imprisonment.