Belfast bike thief asks for prison sentence, judge obliges

A Belfast bike thief who asked a judge to jail him in a bid to help him break out of a spiral of addiction that had led him to commit crime was obliged by a judge as she sent him to prison for 10 months.

Liam Joseph Shortt pleaded guilty at Belfast Magistrates' Court last week to two counts of bike theft, one attempted bike theft, and stealing clothes from a branch of Next, reports the Irish News.

The court heard that the 22-year-old had stolen one bike worth £600 and another valued at £100 from locations in the Northern Irish capital. He also tried to steal another bike valued at £600.

Sean O'Hare, speaking in mitigation, told the court that Shortt, who has 21 prior convictions for theft, had addiction issues and wanted to be imprisoned.

"He's quite clear and candid that he needs to detoxify and take himself away from the negative influences which have led him here," he explained.

District Judge Fiona Bagnall sentenced him to six months’ imprisonment for the offences that he admitted at the trial.

A previous four-month suspended sentence was also triggered as a result of his re-offending and will be served consecutively.