A prolific thief is back behind bars after swiping goods from three stores just weeks after being released from a jail term for a spate of similar crimes.

Sean Gaskin was jailed for just under a year in June after admitting 13 shoplifting charges he’d carried out while on a suspended sentence he’d been given for targeting shops in Sheerness.

Gaskin relentlessly targeted the likes of Holland and Barrett, Boots, Savers, Superdrug and New Look in the town back in February.

The 42-year-old snatched more than £2,500 of goods including toiletries, tanning creams and clothing, as well as meat and cheese products and had admitted 10 shoplifting charges when he appeared before Folkestone magistrates on April 29, when he was given a suspended sentence.

However, over the following weeks, the thief went on to commit further offences and he was arrested at the end of May and remanded in custody.

On June 3, at Maidstone Magistrates’ Court, he admitted another 13 shoplifting offences and was jailed for a total of 330 days, which included the activation of his suspended sentence.

But when the criminal was released from prison fewer than three months later, he soon went out pilfering again.

A court heard on September 14, Gaskin stole multiple meat products from the Tesco supermarket in Sheerness and walked out with £133.21 worth of items.

Then later the same day, he stole three cans of Red Bull and a jar of coffee valued at £12.70 from the Co-op in Sheerness and just two days later he was at it again when on September 16, he stole various cold meat items valued at £20 from the Co-op in Sheerness.

Gaskin, who has connections Sheerness and Canterbury, but is now residing in HMP Elmley on the Isle of Sheppey after being recalled to prison, admitted three counts of shoplifting when he appeared at Medway Magistrates’ Court on September 24.

District Judge William Nelson said Gaskin had a lengthy record.

Debbie Jones, prosecuting, said: “He was at the Co-op in High Street, Sheerness and caught on CCTV taking various items and he was challenged by staff but made off without payment.

“Then later in the evening, he went to Tesco in Bridge Road and it was about 7.20pm and took items and left without paying, then on September 16, he returned to the Co-op and again was challenged by staff who managed to get some products back, but only some of the items.

Judge Nelson also heard after he was arrested for the offences, he was recalled to prison by probation to serve the rest of his sentence.

Jennifer Stanbury, mitigating told the court her client stole the items so he could sell them to live, despite the fact he got £700 ESA (Employment and Support Allowance) and £800 in PIP payments a month.

She added: “If he is jailed for more than six weeks his benefits will be stopped again. He will be free of his addiction at the end of his sentence and he wants help from probation.”

Judge Nelson said he had no option but to jail Gaskin because of his previous offending history.

He added: “It’s my view you could have got a community order (for these offences) but your previous history is a significant aggravating feature which sees these new offences pass the custody threshold substantially.”

He jailed Gaskin for 90 days which will run concurrently to the sentence he has been recalled on.