The theft of an expensive cashmere sweater from a Norfolk store has seen a prolific shoplifter put behind bars. 

Stealing the £110 Tommy Hilfiger jumper from Coneys in King’s Lynn proved to be the final act of freedom for Samuel Green who has 99 previous offences.

Norwich Magistrates’ Court heard the opportunistic theft on November 13 came just five days after he had been spared an immediate prison sentence for a string of similar shoplifting offences.

READ MORE: Record number of shoplifting crimes recorded in Norfolk

Green, 28, from Cambridge, saw a 10-week sentence suspended for 10 months on November 8 for thefts and attempted thefts.

Colette Harper, prosecuting, said days later he had been arrested sitting on a bench in Lynn town centre by police who had been called to reports of a theft from the luxury clothes shop.  

Magistrates activated the suspended sentence jailing him for 10 weeks.

“It would have been made clear to you what the consequences would be of you offending again but you choose to disregard that,” they told him.

Annette Hall, mitigating, said: “This is not his finest hour.”