A man has been jailed for four months for stealing Kelly Turner charity tins.

James Pope had taken three collection boxes from three different locations in Dover and had tried to steal a fourth.

Canterbury magistrates had imposed a 120-day prison sentence, concurrent for all these offences plus for a number of others.

The court explained that the sentence was imposed because he was a persistent offender, trying to feed a drug habit, and had previous convictions.

Pope, 33, of no fixed address admitted the theft offences at the court on Saturday, September 16.

The thefts were of tins for Dovorian Kelly,17, who needs to raise £1 million for specialist treatment in New York for a rare form of cancer.

The first theft was at Tennessee Fried Chicken in Cherry Tree Avenue on Monday, August 7.

The second at the White Cliffs Bakery at Buckland Avenue on Monday, September 11, and the third at Domino’s Pizza in Pencester Road on Thursday. September 14.

The attempted theft was at Crabble Post Office, Buckland Avenue, on Tuesday September 12.

Quantities of cash in each case were unknown.

Other thefts Pope admitted included shoplifting offences, stealing alcohol.

Another man has been accused of a separate theft of a tin for Kelly, at the Dovorian Restaurant at Priory Place on September 6.

Craig Dunn, 25, of Westbury Road, Dover, appeared last Wednesday before Folkestone magistrates and pleaded not guilty to the offence.

He will go on trial and was remanded in custody for the next hearing, which is at Margate Magistrates Court this Thursday.

Kelly was diagnosed with desmoplastic small round cell tumours in October 2015 when she was given two years to live.

She has had a total 26 rounds of chemotherapy but she needs specialist surgery, radiotherapy and immunotherapy in America.

Donate towards Kelly’s treatment at justgiving.com/kelly-turner2000.