Magistrates give a drug ravaged South Yorkshire offender a chance after he went on a crime spree

Sheffield Magistrates’ Court heard on October 28 how Christopher Ord, aged 46, of School Street, Hemmingfield, Barnsley, tried to raid a portable cabin, stole a cash tin found in a vehicle, handled a stolen bank card, committed fraud and damaged a gate.

Robert Coyne, prosecuting, said Ord committed an attempted burglary on February 17 when he tried to raid a portable cabin at a home at Silkstone, Barnsley, and he also stole a cash tin with just six pence from an unlocked Land Rover at the property.

Mr Coyne added: “There is CCTV attached to the property and it shows at 6.10am two men climbing over a six-foot gate surrounding the property with one being Mr Ord.

"It shows Mr Ord going to the Portakabin and trying every door and it shows another male walking to the Land Rover.”

Mr Coyne said Ord and his accomplice got into the Land Rover and stole a money tin contaning six pence.

Ord had also been seen with an accomplice on CCTV at another property on Rookery Way, Thurgoland, about an hour-and-a-half before, according to Mr Coyne, and the defendant tried to climb over a gate before it collapsed.

Mr Coyne added Ord was found to have a bank card which had been stolen from a car in Barnsley and he had used the card at a Morrisons to make a £28 transaction.

Ord, who has no previous convictions, pleaded guilty to the non-dwelling burglary, stealing cash, causing damage, handling stolen goods, and fraud and to posessing class A drugs which police found after his arrest.

The defendant told police he “was ravaged by a drug addiction”.

Andrew Bostock, defending, said Ord had been struggling after his father died in 2016 and he was introduced to drugs and began associating with criminals.

But Mr Bostock added Ord has been pursuing rehabilitation and hopes to counsel others with problems.

Magistrates sentenced Ord to 18 weeks of custody suspended for 12 months with an 18-week curfew. He must pay £85 costs, a £128 victim surcharge and £228 compensation.

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