A PROLIFIC offender who is banned from wearing hats will spend Christmas behind bars after being jailed again.

Court staff are well aware of the exploits of Leon Sherratt, who has graced Cheshire’s magistrates’ courts many a time over recent years.

The 39-year-old thief was made the subject of a criminal behaviour order in August last year in a bid to bring to an end his wave of dishonesty.

However, the Whitecross man is back in prison after stealing a range of designer items from a car in the town.

Sherratt appeared before Chester Magistrates’ Court, where he was sentenced on counts of breaching his criminal behaviour order, theft from a motor vehicle and fraud by false representation.

The court heard form Andrew Page, prosecuting in the case, how all of the offences occurred on November 26.

Sherratt’s criminal behaviour order was imposed after he was convicted of targeted parked cars in the Great Sankey area with a view to stealing their contents.

His order lasts for three years and prohibits him from entering west Warrington, as defined by a map, between 8pm and 8am, except to travel on the A57, M62 and railway.

He is also banned from associating with three named individuals in Warrington between 8pm and 8am.

A further condition of the order is to restrict him from wearing any head or face covering when entering the boundary of any residential property, not including his own or his family, in Cheshire.

The same condition applies when entering the boundary of any Cheshire commercial property, including paths, driveways, car parking and indoor or outdoor stores.

A final condition bans him from being in possession of any bank card, credit card or store card that is not in his name without written permission across Cheshire.

On November 26, Sherratt breached this order by wearing a head or face covering when entering the boundary or curtilage of a residential property.

In doing so, he stole a NatWest debit card and Halifax credit card from a vehicle, as well as a Mulberry messenger handbag, Mulberry sunglasses, Oakley Sunglasses and a Joules purse, belonging to a woman and having a value of £1,180.

After taking the bank cards, he then used them for fraudulent transactions.

Magistrates took his guilty pleas into account, however they remarked tat the severity of the offences merited an immediate custodial sentence.

They highlighted that the defendant is already the subject of two community orders and remarked that he has a ‘flagrant disregard for people and their property’.

Sherratt, of Whitecross Road in Whitecross, was sentenced to 16 weeks immediate imprisonment.

He was also ordered to pay compensation of £250 to the victim. No order for court costs was made, with compensation taking priority.