Three years for 'first class' thief

A man who made more than £30,000 from stealing wallets belonging to first-class train passengers has been jailed for three years.

John Kelly travelled on trains throughout the UK to carry out his crime, in order to fund his gambling and alcohol addiction.

Between October 1999 and February 2002, the 46-year-old criss-crossed the country, removing wallets from coats in carriages or on overhead racks.

He would get off at the next station and go to a bank, to gather information about the stolen credit cards and then start using them.

You obtained an actual total of £30,079 which you then spent on your addiction to alcohol and gambling

Recorder Benjamin Browne QC

On Friday, Kelly was sentenced at Bristol Crown Court for 12 specimen dishonesty offences including theft and obtaining property by deception.

Kelly, from Stapleton Road, Easton, Bristol, was tracked down by British Transport Police and arrested as he returned from holiday in Gran Canaria.

Sentencing Kelly, Recorder Benjamin Browne QC said he had adopted a persistent pattern of dishonest behaviour.

"You obtained an actual total of £30,079 which you then spent on your addiction to alcohol and gambling," he said.

The court heard the total value of his attempted transactions was £56,880.

Defending, Mark Horton said Kelly had been bold in admitting the offences and said his client had alcohol and cocaine problems as well as suffering from depression.