A THIEF with a 'flagrant disregard for people and their property' has been jailed for 20 weeks after stealing thousands of pounds worth of role playing game accessories from an Ilkley shop.

Paul Richard Cox, 40, of Beechwood Grove, Bradford, pleaded guilty to a total of 11 charges of theft from a shop, when he appeared via live link at Leeds Magistrates' Court on Friday, April 1.

Seven of the offences were committed at Boyes in Ilkley on various dates between October 2021 and March 2022 when Cox stole Games Workshop Products to the value of £3,434.48. Games Workshop makes accessories and figurines for fantasy role playing games.

Cox also pleaded guilty to stealing stealing meat worth £57 from the Co-op in Haworth on February 25, 2022; theft of flapjacks and Dowe Egburts coffee worth £53.65 from Oakworth Co-op on March 13 2022; theft of meat worth £78.75 from Haworth Co-op on March 13, 2022; theft of meat worth £52 from Haworth Co-op on March 14, 2022 and theft of meat worth £84.50 from Haworth Co-op on February 28, 2022.

Cox was committed to prison for 20 weeks for the offences with magistrates giving the reasons: "Offence so serious because the defendant has a flagrant disregard for people and their property, because value of theft, because the offence was aggravated by the defendant's record of previous offending."

He was ordered to pay a surcharge to fund victim services of £128.

No compensation was ordered as the court imposed a custodial sentence.

The defendant's guilty pleas were taken into account when imposing sentence.