A THIEF has been jailed after he went on a crime spree.

Colin Luce, 34, was locked up after committing burglary, handling stolen goods and theft.

His first offence took place on August 9, 2022 when he burgled a house in the Greenmeadow area of Cwmbran.

Alice Sykes, prosecuting, told Cardiff Crown Court: “The complainant was at home when the defendant entered his home and took his electric bike.

“He chased after him and the defendant threw the bike down.

“Then he was effectively detained by his victim and the police were called.”

The next was last New Year’s Eve when police found a stolen blue Honda motorbike at Luce’s Cwmbran home.

The victim of this crime had struggled to get to work after the bike had been taken and had to rely on his wife to take him to work.

On March 30 this year a moped was stolen from Blaenavon.

A few weeks later Luce and another man were spotted with it on Riverside Drive in Pontypool trying to put it in the back of a white van.

Luce, of Farlays, Coed Eva, Cwmbran was convicted of burglary, handling stolen goods and taking a vehicle without consent.

He also pleaded guilty to possession of amphetamine, failing to surrender and being in breach of a suspended prison sentence for driving while disqualified.

The defendant had six previous convictions for 25 offences which included dangerous driving and shoplifting.

Matthew Roberts, mitigating, said his client “spiralled into drug addiction” in 2016 following the death of his brother.

His barrister added: “This is a man with severe learning difficulties.

“He can’t read, he can’t write. He’s never had any formal qualifications.”

Luce has worked as a labourer in the past and has cared for his wheelchair-user mother, Mr Roberts added.

Being remanded in custody had “broken his drug addiction”.

The judge, Recorder Victoria Hillier, jailed the defendant for 100 weeks.