by Court Reporter

A BURGLAR who raided a charity shop dumped a stolen safe in the street when he was caught red-handed by the police trying to make his getaway on a pushbike.

Martin Way used a screwdriver and cutting tools to break into the back entrance of the Exeter Leukaemia Fund shop in High Street, Crediton, where he ripped out a safe.

He was cycling home with his loot in a "bag for life" when he was stopped by police, who saw him struggling to pedal while carrying the heavy object.

Way dropped the stolen safe on the road and sped off on his bicycle but was arrested later. He claimed he had found he safe in a doorway but police were able to link him to the break-in.

The safe contained about £400 takings from the shop which were recovered but it was damaged beyond repair when he removed it from a shelf where it had been screwed down.

Way (38), of Station Yard, Crediton, admitted burglary and was jailed for seven months, suspended for two years with a six-month drug rehabilitation and £100 compensation, by Judge Peter Johnson at Exeter Crown Court.

He said: "There has to be an uplift in the sentence because of your previous convictions and the impact on the people of Crediton. This was a burglary of a charity shop and that is reprehensible conduct."

Miss Felicity Payne, prosecuting, said shop manager Kerry Stevens opened up on January 16 last year to find it had been broken into overnight.

The shop had been searched and the 30 by 40 centimetre safe ripped out from a shelf in the office where it had been screwed down.

Police realised that it was the same safe that they recovered when they stopped Way at 3am that morning and which he dropped before cycling off.

Way has previous convictions for 56 offences and a second charge of stealing a safe from the office of the parish church in Crediton is not being proceeded with.

Miss Kelly Scrivener, defending, said Way has been doing well on a community order which he received for using a stolen credit card.

He is tackling the long standing drug problem which lay behind his offending and is about to start work as a delivery driver. The probation service has been impressed with his progress and consider him a good prospect for rehabilitation.