Prolific Sheffield burglar picked up Argos parcels from click and collect point

Christopher Lister surreptitiously entered a restricted area behind Sainsbury's, on Arundel Gate, at 10.54am, on June 13, said prosecutor Zaiban Alam.

Around £75 of goods were taken in four parcels, but Lister was identified by a police officer from a CCTV camera and arrested the same day.

Sheffield Crown Court heard he has a "substantial" record of previous convictions and was a "prolific" burglar, with 25 non-dwelling burglaries over 18 years.

In January he received a suspended sentence which he breached a month later by committing four more burglaries and received a 48-week sentence.

Joy Merriam, mitigating, said it Lister had a "long standing heroin addiction" after "a tragic start in life."

She said he had witnessed the murder of his mother at the age of three, and last year his partner died after falling from a block of flats.

The crime was committed within three weeks of his release from prison and he was unable to obtain any support, or a methadone prescription.

"He made a suicide attempt just behind the court when he threw himself from a bridge into the river Don," Ms Merriam said.

Lister has a history of mental health issues and was arrested at Doncaster Hospital while attending a mental health assessment, she added.

Lister, 35, of Pye Bank Road, Sheffield, pleaded guilty to non-residential burglary on July 16.

Judge Sarah Wright sentenced him to 15 months in prison on Wednesday.

Read the latest cases from Sheffield Crown Court here.

A message from the Editor:

The dramatic events of 2020 are having a major impact on our advertisers and thus our revenues.

The Star is more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription to support our journalism. You can subscribe here for unlimited access to Sheffield news and information online.

Every subscription helps us continue providing trusted, local journalism and campaign on your behalf for our city.

Thank you

Nancy Fielder, editor