Charity tin thief jailed after leaving DNA at crime scene

Thomas Smith, of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty to two burglaries and thefts and was sentenced to a year in prison at Cambridge Crown Court on Friday.

The 45-year-old took cigarettes worth £350 from a shop in Burleigh Street, Cambridge, in August 2018. A discarded cigarette packet at the scene matched Smiths’ DNA.

Last year he was caught on CCTV stealing charity tins from a shop on Mill Road, Cambridge, on August 17 and the Post Office in High Street, Cottenham, on September 7.

Smith also stole cash from the till of The Animal Experience in Cambridge Road, Stretham, on September 14.

Sergeant Ciaran Constable said: “Smith is an opportunistic burglar who steals to feed his drug addiction. We hope that while in prison he gets the support he needs to prevent re-offending upon his release.”