A burglar caught as he tried to steal from a town newsagents has been sent to prison.

David Bateman made so much noise he woke the owners of Canterbury Road’s Riddhi Siddhi News when he broke in last Tuesday.

The Shakespeare Road resident pleaded guilty to burglary other than a dwelling when he appeared at Medway Magistrates’ Court.

Although he was sentenced to four months in prison, shop owner Aruna Patel has questioned what she actually gets from his punishment.

The 61-year-old said: “What is my benefit from it? I had to lose the money. I have had to spend £2,000 on the door to be repaired in an emergency. I’ve had no compensation from him.”

As previously reported, Bateman was arrested shortly after midnight when Mrs Patel’s son Jay, 22, woke her to say their was a noise coming from the shop.

Bateman, who had entered the premises by removing the bottom glass panel of the front door, was moving around. The police were called and the 39-year-old was arrested and charged.

Speaking last week, Mrs Patel, who has run the business for more than 20 years, said: “My sister and I peered through a window into the shop from the house and we could see a man.

“He started knocking on the window where we were and he was saying ‘open the door and let me in’.

“We were worried he was going to run away so we opened it when my son came over after calling the police and tried to grab him. He ran over to the front door but the police were there and they got him.”

It was the second time in less than two months the premises have been targeted.

A thief got in through the front door sometime overnight on November 2-3 and took Mrs Patel’s purse, which contained £1,000 in cash, her mobile phone and hundreds of packets of cigarettes.

Mrs Patel added: “I’m pleased with how quickly (Bateman) has been dealt with. The police were so quick, so it’s excellent.

“It’s good because he won’t be able to do it again for a while but I’m worried he might come back again (once he’s released) because he’s local.”