A BURGLAR who stole a laptop computer from Wrexham Football Club and ran off down the street with it has been jailed.

Drug addict Darren Richards, 32, of Conner Crescent, Wrexham, admitted breaking into the Racecourse in Wrexham which put him in breach of an earlier suspended prison sentence.

He was jailed for six months for the burglary and a 12-month suspended sentence was imposed consecutively, making 18 months in all.

Judge Niclas Parry, sitting at Mold Crown Court, said twice this year Richards had been remarkably fortunate.

He had 21 previous convictions for burglary, nine of them in houses.

Richards was still committing burglary and twice in 2010 he had escaped custody.

“Only a custodial sentence is now justified,” Judge Parry said.

Prosecutor Sion ap Mihangel said Richards went to Wrexham FC, stole a computer which he put under his coat, and was stopped by police as he made off down the street.

At the time he was on a suspended prison sentence following previous burglaries when he stole a laptop from the headmaster’s office at Ysgol Clywedog, Wrexham, and stole the wallet of a visiting lecturer from Dundee who was in a conference room at Glyndwr University, Wrexham.

He also withdrew a total of £300 from his account using his credit card.

Myles Wilson, defending, said Richards was a long-standing drug addict who had used his time on remand wisely and was following various courses.

He was now drug free and had a privileged job in custody as a cleaner.