A FORMER drug user was found with a stolen bank card which was covered in his prints – but when police arrived at the victim’s home she was unaware she had been burgled.

Shane Standen admitted handling stolen goods when he appeared before Recorder Allan Dooley at Worcester Crown Court on Wednesday, April 12.

The 30-year-old of Tanhouse Lane, Malvern, was spotted behaving suspiciously in the town’s Elgar Stores at around 10.40am on February 13 last year.

Nicholas O’Brien, prosecuting, said staff saw Standen taking items out of one carrier bag and placing them in another which made them 'curious'.

Staff managed to retrieve the carrier bag which contained a number of items, including a woman’s bank card and some papers which led to police making contact with the card’s owner.

Mr O’Brien said: “She was at that stage unaware there had been a burglary at all.”

Later she realised it must have happened at around 9.30am that day, around an hour before the card was retrieved.

Mr O’Brien added: “The defendant had deposited his fingerprints on these items. He has a long record of dishonesty.”

The fingerprints led police to Standen who was not interviewed until July.

Standen had 28 offences of dishonesty recorded against him which Mr O’Brien said in recent years had been petty shoplifting.

He added: “He has been out of trouble for a year or two.”

Clare Fear, defending, said: “To the defendant’s credit he self-referred himself to the drug and alcohol team.

"He’s done this off his own back of course. The probation service quite rightly suggest that shows a great deal of motivation on his part.

"At the time there were difficulties with drugs but they have subsequently been resolved.”

Miss Fear also said his attendance with probation service appointments had been satisfactory, he was giving negative samples in drug screening tests and he had complied fully with a curfew requirement daily between 8pm and 7am which was not electronically monitored.

She said he was unemployed but working on a voluntary basis at dog kennels in Worcester Road.

Mr Dooley said the matter was rendered more serious by the fact that the defendant was in contact with stolen property within an hour of a burglary taking place.

He said: “This is a serious matter. Having said that, I'm prepared to go along with the recommendation in the report in the hope that you have reached a sufficient degree of maturity to do something about your future and stay out of trouble.

"In other words, this court is giving you a chance."

Standen was given a a 12 month community order to include 15 days of rehabilitation activity and a six month drug rehabilitation activity requirement.

The curfew will also continue for another six months but the recorder ruled that it should be electronically monitored this time.

He must also pay a victim surcharge of £85.