A WHITTINGTON teenager was told he has 'run out of chances' after he was jailed for a spate of thefts to fund his crack cocaine and heroin addiction.

Ethan Edwards, 19 and of Station Road, Whittington, was sentenced at Shrewsbury Crown Court on Friday, October 12, after previously pleading guilty at Kidderminster Magistrates Court in September to three offences of theft from a shop – two four-packs of Scrumpy Jack cider totalling £9 from Home Bargains in Oswestry on Tuesday, September 13.

He also admitted two further thefts from separate stores. On August 21, he stole a bottle of gin and a bottle of vodka from Marks & Spencer, costing £45 – allegedly threatening staff who tried to stop him leaving via a back door.

Judge Anthony Lowe heard that Edwards told staff at the Smithfield Road store to not force him "to get out my knife" – which he did not have – and that when he found the back entrance locked, he shouted "I need my fix, my fix of crack".

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Staff eventually allowed him to leave and he apologised, again stating he needed his drugs.

On August 22, he stole three bottles of Bells Whiskey to the value of £67.50 from Tesco in Ellesmere.

Border Counties Advertizer: Shrewsbury Crown CourtShrewsbury Crown Court (Image: None)

Edwards also admitting assaulting two men across two different dates. On September 13, he assaulted David Foulkes by beating and on August 21, he assaulted Daniel Fox – both in Oswestry.

The court heard that he went back to face staff at Home Bargains, in Bailey Street, with other men and they tried to intimidate staff before police arrived

He also faced a further charge of conviction of an offence while a community order – handed out by Shrewsbury Crown Court on June 29 this year – is in force.

He also pleaded guilty to further offences of theft on September 22 at WH Smiths and Sainsbury's in Oswestry while he was on bail.

Sentencing him to 12 months, with half to be served on licence, Judge Lowe said that while he accepted his young age and his desire to come off drugs, he needed to be held accountable for his actions.

He added: "I don't doubt that in your heart you want to get out of this cycle of addiction and committing offences to fund it, and ending up in front of people like me.

"But you have been given chances – there comes a time when the sheer weight of the offences counts.

"The only appropriate way (to sentence you) is to look overall to what I can give, and the fact is, in totality this adds up so a custodial sentence is inevitable.

"I’ve taken into account your age and your desire to change, and maybe the methadone proscription will help, but it won’t help forever.

"I hope when you are released you can take your progress into the real world."

Edwards has been in custody since late September and will count towards his overall sentence, which he will serve at a Young Offender's Institute.