Scrap Dealer Stole to Fund Drug Habit

A SMALL-time scrap dealer, who scoured the streets of Scunthorpe for metal to sell to feed his drug habit, was caught attempting to steal copper from an address at Kingsway House.

Prosecutor Dennis Aisthorpe told North Lincolnshire magistrates Alan Kilbee went to the address on July 20.

“It was boarded-up at the time, nobody lived there,” he said.

Police were told somebody was at the property in the process of stealing copper piping.

They attended and saw Kilbee about to leave through a communal door. He turned around when he saw the officers. Mr Aisthorpe said: “He was carrying various tools, which he threw to the floor.”

It was found copper pipe had been bundled-up and left in the doorway of the address.

“There was a large pool of water on the floor,” Mr Aisthorpe added.

When interviewed, Kilbee confessed to what he had done. He said he found the door loose and, Mr Aisthorpe said: “He went in. There was nobody there, so he went in and took the copper piping apart.”

Richard Lunn, mitigating, said the council-owned property was unoccupied at the time, as it was in the process of being stripped out by council workers.

“He did not need to break in. He had a look around and saw that the property was derelict and had been stripped and decided to remove some copper piping to fund his heroin addiction,” Mr Lunn explained.

He continued: “He scours the streets to find scrap metal to fund his heroin addiction of pounds10 per day. It’s a rather sad state of affairs that this is the only way Kilbee can find to live.”

Kilbee (43), whose address was given as care of a property on Lichfield Avenue, Scunthorpe, admitted charges of burglary, failing to answer bail and breach of a conditional discharge.

Mr Lunn told magistrates the discharge was imposed for a theft of some car batteries his client found. “It was more a theft by finding,” he said.

Kilbee was given a 12-week jail sentence, suspended for 12 months. He was ordered to receive 12 months’ community supervision and to take part in a drug rehabilitation programme for a year. He was also told to pay pounds60 costs.

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