A prolific shoplifter from Penryn has been jailed for a total of 38 weeks for ramming a stolen vehicle into a police car and another vehicle during a pursuit.

Jack Pickering, aged 29, of no fixed abode, Penryn, pleaded guilty to five counts of theft from a shop, two charges of common assault and one of aggravated vehicle taking when he appeared at Truro Magistrates’ Court on April 25.

Pickering admitted stealing £207.70 of alcohol and food items from the Co-Op in Mongleath Road, Falmouth on April 11 this year.

He was ordered to pay the same amount of compensation and sentenced to ten weeks in prison, consecutive for this offence because of his prolific offending.

For common assault by beating of a man in the Sainsbury’s car park at Ponsharden on December 14 last year he was ordered to pay £200 compensation and given 18 weeks in prison to run at the same time as other sentences, again because of his prolific offending and because it was so serious.

For assaulting another man on the same day in the same place, Pickering was ordered to pay the victim another £200 and sent to prison for another 18 months to run at the same time as the other sentences.

He was also sentenced to two weeks in prison for the theft of £44 worth of goods from Sainsbury's on December 14 as well as another four weeks in prison to run concurrent to the other sentences for the theft of £80 worth of food items from the Co-Op in Cliff Road on April 18 this year.

For the theft of an item of clothing worth £100 from Anns Cottage, Church Street, Falmouth on April 18 this year he was ordered to repay the shop the same amount and sentenced to six week in prison to run concurrently.

He also admitted stealing £250 worth of alcohol and food items from Bailey’s Country Store in Penryn on April 9 this year and was ordered to pay the same in compensation and was sentenced to ten weeks in prison.

For the aggravated vehicle taking of the vehicle from the Tregonnigie Industrial Estate In Falmouth without the consent of the owner on December 14 last year he was disqualified from driving for one year and sentenced to 18 weeks in prison.

The magistrates said additional aggravating factors included ramming a police car causing damage to it and also a member of the public’s vehicle.

In total Pickering was sentenced to 38 weeks in prison with no order for costs made.