A homeless thief who burgled his old school and repeatedly pinched from three stores in a six-month crime spree "to live" has been told by a judge he had “a choice not to steal”.

Nathan Palmer was already subject to a suspended sentence and on bail for the break-in at the Robert Napier School in Gillingham.

He had been identified as the culprit through DNA, when he targeted B&M Bargains in Queenborough and Aldi in Sheerness, and also a Co-op branch in Bobbing, near Sittingbourne.

Having stolen musical instruments and equipment from the educational building, he helped himself to thousands of pounds worth of meat, lager, tins of tuna, cat food, electrical items, children's Lego and toys, bedding, curtains, air fryers and vacuum cleaners from the shops.

Although the prosecution alleged there was an inference he was “stealing to order”, Palmer's lawyer told Maidstone Crown Court that the 28-year-old resorted to crime simply to “fund living”.

But that was rebuffed by Judge Julian Smith, who told the crook there was “no mitigation, explanation or justification” in his assertion - and that the money he must have received for the pilfered goods and spent on alcohol would have been “a pathetic return”.

"You are not stealing to live, you are stealing. You are committing offences and, more than that, you are breaking into a school you attended," he said.

"You may well ask 'Well what am I supposed to do?' The answer is not steal from children, not steal from shops, not become the character you have become which I hope, if nothing else, when you reflect on what you have done and look in the mirror, will disappoint you. You are capable of more.

"The impact of shop thefts is on us all. We all pay more...You are not made or forced to steal to feed yourself. You choose to do so, and there are other options available to you."

Judge Smith was equally critical of the suggestion put forward on Palmer's behalf that the fact he chose his former school showed a lack of sophistication and awareness in his offending.

Describing that particular targeting as an aggravating factor, he said: “The thought it was his old school ought to have been brought home to him - the fact he is inflicting suffering on children sitting in the seats in which he once did.”

Palmer, said to be of no fixed address but formerly living in Johnson Avenue, Gillingham, admitted burglary of the school on May 19, 2022, and 17 theft offences committed between June 29 and December 19 2023.

On that final day alone, he stole on three separate occasions within four hours, targeting one shop twice.

Prosecutor Elisenda Mitchell told the sentencing hearing on Wednesday (Aug 7) that Palmer broke into the school in Third Avenue overnight, using bolt cutters to gain entry through a fence and then smashing a window.

Once inside, he nabbed 14 guitars, an amplifier, two keyboards, cash, a Ben Sherman top, stationery, sweets, a Prada fragrance and a camera.

The bolt cutters were later found by police on the premises, as well as blood spots which matched Palmer's DNA.

Ms Mitchell said the use of the tool, as well as Palmer leaving the school at one point to return with a large bag in which to carry away his illicit haul, indicated a degree of planning.

Referring to an impact statement provided by staff, she detailed how music lessons had to be cancelled but the pupils were not told the reason as they did not want the break-in to “impact on their learning or leave them feeling unsafe”.

Palmer was arrested the following month after he had voluntarily attended Medway police station on an unrelated matter, only to then embark on his shoplifting spree.

The first three thefts were carried out while he was still subject to a suspended jail term imposed in November 2022, and the remaining 14 while on bail for the school raid.

Ms Mitchell told the court that B&M Bargains was targeted 13 times, Aldi on three occasions and the Co-op once.

His loot, totalling almost £3,000, included five air fryers, two grills, a toaster, LED lights, a carpet cleaner, two Henry Hoovers and a Vax vacuum.

On December 19, Palmer struck at B&M twice, just two-and-a-half hours apart, and then at Aldi just 90 minutes later.

He was eventually identified by police from store CCTV footage and arrested on January 18 this year.

In business impact statements, the shops described how they were a "repeat target for prolific and opportunistic" thieves, causing losses running into thousands, increased insurance costs, and staff being subjected to abuse and aggression.

He simply stole from places that he knew

Samuel Glanville, defending, said Palmer, who has 12 previous convictions for 28 offences, was in receipt of Universal Credit of £300 a month at the time but which would last him just two weeks.

"He was homeless at the time and part of the reason he was stealing was to live....He stole to fund living, in effect," he told the court.

Of the "quite unsophisticated" burglary, the lawyer continued: "He knew the building and that indicates a lack of awareness of where the evidence might point.

"He simply stole from places that he knew. It wasn't targeted because it was a school with particular vulnerabilities.

“It was just a place where he knew items could be stolen and made attempts to do so when no one was around. He went there at night.

“The same can be said for the shoplifting from three shops over and over again.”

However, on jailing Palmer for a total of 12 months, Judge Smith told him he faced a "rather pathetic future" if he did not change his ways.

Of the school break-in, he added: "You know how short of resources all schools are. There isn't a sum of money available to be tapped so they can recover the items taken. Once it's gone, it's gone.

“And those children, so you could feed your alcohol addiction, have lost their guitars, their music lessons, their chance to develop their skills and their enjoyment.

“The offence is enhanced by the fact it was a school. It is more serious because common sense says it is to target a school. They deserve more.”

Although compensation had been requested in the sum of £3,682 on behalf of the school, and a total of £2,903 for the three stores, no orders were made.

But Palmer, who has been in custody since January and was therefore expected to be released within days if not immediately, was told by Judge Smith: "No doubt you secured by your thefts and damage no more than a few hundred pounds to feed your alcohol addiction.

“What a pathetic return that was.”