A HEROIN addict was caught masquerading in a British Gas uniform after stealing a company van to fund his habit.
Persistent thief Richard Brooks, 21, stole the keys for the Vauxhall van from the St Helens home of an employee.
But Liverpool Crown Court heard he was spotted by police in the van the following day.
Brooks, whose criminal record began when he was 13, abandoned the vehicle and fled, but was caught after a chase.
Jailing him for three years, Judge Graham Morrow said: “You were, in fact, wearing the uniform that was inside the van so as not to draw attention to yourself as you made your way to sell the copper at a scrap yard.”
Mike Stephenson, prosecuting, said Brooks, who already has 24 convictions for 45 offences, had sold more than £2,000 worth of tools for just £34.
Brooks, of Kendal Drive, St Helens, admitted the burglary, theft and taking a vehicle without consent on July 21.
He also asked for 36 other matters to be taken into consideration.
