A notorious thief with 210 offences to his name has been jailed for going shoplifting less than an hour after a court spared him a prison sentence.

Kieron Spilling, 29, of Ipswich, admitted stealing three watches and three sets of headphones worth £55.97 when he appeared before the town’s magistrates.

The items were stolen from Argos in Carr Street, Ipswich, at 12.35pm on Tuesday.

However, during his hearing it emerged that he had been released by Ipswich magistrates on the same afternoon after they extended a previous supervision order.

In that hearing he had pleaded guilty to stealing 10 assorted Lego building kits and two shopping bags worth a total of £220 from WH Smith in Westgate Street last Saturday.

At Spilling’s latest court appearance prosecutor Rosalind Cappleman said after shoplifting from Argos a member of staff stopped him in the street and retrieved the articles. A police officer then arrested Spilling.

The court was told Spilling had 83 previous convictions for 210 offences.

A total of 135 of these were thefts over the past 15 years.

Paul Booty, representing Spilling, said: “There’s no getting away from the fact that Mr Spilling is prolific. He has been a heroin addict for some 10 years.

“He stole from Argos to sell the items because he was cold, depressed, homeless, and on the street. He was going to sell the items to ‘top up’ such was his desperation.

“Having left he court yesterday with hope in his heart he was told by the night shelter ‘you are on the streets’.

“He’s been in the cells overnight so he did find his accommodation somewhat ironically.

Mr Booty added Spilling’s last prison sentence had been one of four weeks in October for shoplifting and theft offences.

Since his release he was given the supervision requirement on December 23 following another court case.

This was extended to January 7, 2015, at his court appearance on Tuesday.

Magistrates heard Spilling had been on methadone, a heroin substitute, for four to five months and for the past month he had been staying in Ipswich’s night shelter as he was homeless.

Mr Booty said: “He left court yesterday afternoon and when he contacted the night shelter they told him the shelter was full.”

However, a probation officer told the court Spilling was not homeless and had been given a flat in Haverhill on December 20, to which he had lost the key.

Despite being given instructions to remain in Haverhill he had returned to Ipswich.

The probation officer said: “I’m at a loss (what to do with him) really. Mr Spilling was given yet another chance and has stolen again.”

Magistrates jailed Spilling for a total of 20 weeks.