Drug addict who broke into cancer charity shop is hailed 'nice chap'

Richard Singh broke into the Cancer Research UK store in Stafford Street, Willenhall, after taking cocaine, causing £300 of damage.

He took a handful of charity badges, worth around £10, before police arrived on the scene to arrest him.

Prosecutor Linda Gudgeon told Wolverhampton Magistrates Court: "He smashed a window. Officers saw him inside wearing a white tracksuit.

"He presented himself to them and he was arrested.

"About 10 badges were taken, costing around £10, and about £300 worth of damage was caused to the window.

"When he was drug tested back at the station, he tested positive for cocaine."

Singh, aged 33, from Wenlock Road, Aston, Birmingham, pleaded guilty to entering the shop as a trespasser on December 22 with intent to steal.

Defence solicitor Hina Paw told magistrates: "He is a really nice chap, but he has a drug addiction.

"He has 60 previous convictions, all relating to his addiction.

"What he does is what many drug addicts do, he commits theft, gets sent to prison, comes out, commits theft, gets sent to prison, comes out, and so it continues.

"I think a drug rehabilitation programme would be the best course of action for him.

"He lives with his nan, there is a long history of his mum rejecting him in his life.

"He tried to kill himself before he broke into the shop, he woke up disappointed he didn't manage to do it.

"I have told him: 'If you get bail and you mess this up, you have only got yourself to blame."

His sentence was deferred until January 20 at Walsall Magistrates Court for probation service reports.