A man who stole a Hospice charity box and tried to use someone else’s bank card has been handed a suspended sentence.

Adam Alan Cowin went on a crime spree, committing five offences in a month, also stealing from two clothes shops in Douglas.

Magistrates sentenced the 40-year-old from Ramsey to 25 weeks’ custody, suspended for two years, and put him under supervision for two years.

Prosecuting advocate Sara-Jayne Dodge told the court that Cowin’s offending began on February 23, when he stole a running jacket and tracksuit bottoms from JD Sports in Strand Street.

He put the items in a carrier bag and walked out without paying, setting off the alarms.

He was later identified from CCTV footage.

On March 3, Cowin returned to the store and tried to get staff to remove the security tag from the tracksuit bottoms, but when asked for a receipt he ran out.

Later that day he was in Flannels, in the Strand Shopping Centre, and again set off alarms after leaving with items in a carrier bag.

This time he showed staff the tracksuit bottoms from JD Sports and said they must’ve forgotten to take the security tag off.

They let him leave but he was later arrested.

On March 11, Cowin went to HSBC in Douglas and tried to withdraw cash using a bank card belonging to a woman.

He told staff it was his mother’s card, but checks showed the card owner was younger than him.

The owner was contacted and said she’d dropped her card earlier in the day.

Police went to Cowin’s address, at Bircham Avenue Close, and he was arrested.

A small amount of cannabis, weighing 0.6 grams was found.

On March 16, Cowin was seen loitering in the foyer of Ramsey Swimming Pool.

CCTV checked later showed him putting a Hospice charity box under his hooded jacket and stealing it.

In court, he pleaded guilty to fraud by false representation, possessing cannabis, and three counts of theft.

In February, Cowin was put on probation for two years for 11 offences in two months.

Defence advocate Paul Glover said the latest offences were relatively minor, though he said it was accepted that the box theft and card fraud were unpleasant in nature.

Mr Glover said that the offences may be seen as a cry for help as the defendant had struggled with substance abuse.

The advocate said that the February probation order had not yet had time to commence with any meaningful work with Cowin.

‘He is someone who needs regular structured support around him,’ said Mr Glover.

‘He’s now 40 and it’s a milestone at which he’s hoping to make changes to his life.

‘Prior to February he had remained out of court for some time.’

Magistrates chair David Christian told Cowin that the charity box theft was the offence which stood out.

‘We hope this is the last time you’ll have sticky fingers.

‘That’s the one that will stick in people's minds as a despicable act.’