A HEROIN addict who burgled a social club over Christmas because he was banned from every pub and restaurant in town has been sentenced to 18 months in prison.

Dean Nigel Clint Jeffrey, 27, stole from the Colliton Social Club in Dorchester because he was at ‘a fairly low ebb’ over the festive season, his solicitor said.

Detectives caught Jeffrey, of The Esplanade, Weymouth, through a smear of blood that he left on a glass internal door after punching his way through doors on his way to burgle an office above the social club.

He made off with a £1,000 40-inch television and cash from vending machines in the social club and cash from filing cabinets, three laptops and cheque books from the Unison offices above the club.

Also during the burglary, which took place between December 23 and 27 2008, Jeffrey took a large picnic hamper which was due to be raffled off by trade union staff.

Jeffrey changed his plea to guilty to two charges of burglary and one charge of handling stolen goods.

Dorchester Crown Court was told that Jeffrey continued his festive burglary spree by breaking into Urban Slice hairdressers in Dorchester between December 30 and January 3, 2009, and stealing a Sony PlayStation and a cash till with a few pound coins in it.

He committed both crimes while he was the subject of a community order and drug rehabilitation requirement after carrying out a robbery.

Mitigating, Jamie Porter said that his client was banned from ‘absolutely everywhere’.

He added: “He was at a fairly low ebb. He has a great many family members in the area who were all celebrating Christmas.

“He’s not allowed in pubs and restaurants and it caused him to take a gloomy view and do something which was completely inappropriate.”

Mr Porter said that Dorchester’s PubWatch scheme had banned his client from all member pubs in the town.

Jeffrey, who is already serving time in custody for an assault, was given six months for each of his guilty pleas.

The sentences will run concurrently to each other, consecutive to Jeffrey’s current sentence.

The 28 days Jeffrey has already served in custody were deducted.