A man who demanded cash at Strang Stores in Union Mills has been jailed for 18 weeks.

David Christopher Cain, of Coronation Terrace, Strang, left the store when his request was refused by a member of staff.

The 32-year-old, who was said to be nicknamed ’Crackhead’, admitted an offence of attempted theft but was already on bail after admitting two burglaries previously.

Magistrates sentenced him to six weeks’ custody for each of the three offences, to run consecutively.

Jeremy Frank Bentham, aged 57, of Lag Birragh Drive, Onchan, also admitted the two burglary offences and was sentenced to 240 hours’ community service as a direct alternative to 12 weeks’ custody.

The court heard that Cain went into Strang Stores at 7.30pm on March 5.

He was wearing a hooded jacket with the hood up to conceal his identity and told the shop assistant: ’I’ve come for the contents of the till.’

The assistant refused to give Cain anything so he walked out, went home and changed his clothes.

He then went to the Railway pub, where he told a friend what he had just done.

CCTV images of the incident were circulated on social media and Cain was arrested on March 9. He gave ’no comment’ responses to all questions when interviewed by police.

The burglaries took place on October 27 and November 17.

We previously reported that Cain and Bentham took items from Currys PC World and Manx Independent Carriers (MIC) at Snugborough trading estate.

Cain was a former employee of both companies and deactivated the alarm to allow the duo to enter.

The first burglary was committed on October 27 at 4.30pm when CCTV footage showed Cain and Bentham entering the Currys PC World warehouse and load miscellaneous electrical items into a van.

An audit at MIC’s Snugborough warehouse on November 17 found that several items were also missing.

CCTV footage was checked and showed a Transit van with no registration arrive on November 17 with Cain and Bentham in it.

Cain used a key code which he knew from his previous employment at MIC to deactivate the alarm and the duo could then be seen putting items valued at a total of £2,385 into a van.

Police initially spoke to Cain while he was still working at PC World and he said: ’I won’t have a job here anymore.’

In a police interview Cain said he needed money and that his partner was ill. He said he had sold all the goods and only made £400 from the sale.

Bentham attended police headquarters and told police he believed he had bought the stolen items and that he wanted to return them.

However, he was identified as being the second man in the CCTV footage and the items were found at his home.

Matthew Wilshaw represented Cain and said that the Strang Stores incident had not been a sophisticated one. Bentham was represented by Jim Travers. He said that his client was a family man who had been motivated by greed and stupidity and had largely historic previous convictions.

Mr Travers said that Bentham’s involvement was at something of a secondary level and that it had not been his idea or a breach of trust on his part.

Magistrates also ordered Bentham to pay £125 prosecution costs.