A SERIAL thief who breached his drug treatment order after facing 11 charges of theft has been jailed.

Thomas Bell appeared at Dumbarton Sheriff Court from custody facing 11 charges of theft from numerous shops in Dumbarton and Clydebank over a two-year period.

His most recent crime saw him admitting to stealing a quantity of meat from Lidl in Dumbarton on January 13 this year.

Before that he also stole a quantity of meat from the Co-op on Dunn Street in Clydebank on September 19 last year.

He also admitted to the theft of laundry detergent from Home Bargains a week prior, on September 12.

In a separate incident on August 5 he stole a quantity of detergent and confectionary from Poundland in Clydebank.

Then on February 1 at Home Bargains, he stole cleaning products - and did it again five days later.

He went to the same store for a third time on March 14 to nick confectionary and again on March 17 and April 25 to steal more cleaning products.

The 43-year-old stole food from Aldi at the Kilbowie Retail Park in Clydebank on April 11.

His oldest offence on July 5, 2021 saw him steal cleaning products from the same store in Clydebank.

The court heard how Bell was put on a drug treatment testing order to help kerb his offending.

Phil Lafferty, defending, said: “He understands if the order was to be revoked and a period of prison was to be imposed. The fact of the matter he is much healthier, more level-headed and a put together individual. It is a double-edged plea. The question is in the long-run whether [prison] is the best outcome for him. He has refused the temptation in the prison to take illicit substances.

“He has had a positive attitude to be there. There is more to be gained in giving him the opportunity to gain with the services.

“He stands ready and willing to re-engage in such an order. He is clean now for the first time in a long time which allows him to see more clearly for his future. It would give him a new sense of purpose.”

Bell, formerly of Mossgiel Drive, Clydebank, was jailed by Sheriff Maxwell Hendry for 21 months and 120 days.