A serial criminal has been handed a suspended sentence after admitting stealing a car, drink-driving, and a string of thefts from vehicles.

James Tarron Keggin went on a drunken crime spree on October 22.

Magistrates sentenced the 27-year-old to nine months custody, suspended for 18 months, and also banned him from driving for two years with an order to take an extended test at the end of the ban.

We previously reported that Keggin, who lives at Woodbourne Road in Douglas, was seen outside a house at Creggan Lea in Port St Mary at 1.30am on October 22.

The occupant said he saw the lights inside his car on so he went outside and saw Keggin who appeared drunk.

Keggin walked off so the man followed him and called 999.

The man said that when he checked the car, his partner’s football boots were missing from it.

He walked the route which Keggin had taken and found one of the boots lying on the grass.

A second witness reported that sunglasses and two sets of keys had been stolen from their car, but a carrier bag had been left in their car containing other items which did not belong to them.

In the bag were a Mercedes car key, a Gucci wallet, and cash.

When police arrived they saw Keggin outside Gansey Pottery but he then disappeared.

They then found an abandoned Mercedes with its indicator flashing and inside light on near the Shore pub car park.

Keggin was then located at Fisher’s Hill in Gansey and arrested.

A Lee Cooper jacket was at the side of the road which he had not been wearing earlier but he said: ’I haven’t taken no jacket off.’

Keggin was searched and police found a driving licence belonging to a woman, the sunglasses, a Covid vaccination certificate belonging to a man, £27 in cash, earphones, and a garlic dip.

He was breathalysed and produced a reading of 70. The legal limit is 35.

The owner of the vaccination card said that someone had been rifling through his car and had taken £200 in coins, a wallet containing £100, and the garlic dip.

CCTV at the Shore pub car park showed Keggin trying several car doors and then getting into the Mercedes.

He spent 10 minutes trying to drive it and then managed to get it around the corner but abandoned it.

A third car owner said that they found the sunglasses on their driveway but items had also been taken from his vehicle.

Keggin was interviewed at police headquarters and gave ’no comment’ responses to all questions.

In court, Keggin pleaded guilty to taking a vehicle without consent, drink-driving, having no insurance, having no driving licence, and five counts of theft.

Defence advocate Kate Alexander said that, despite the number of thefts, there had been no forced entry or damage to any of the vehicles, and many of the items were of low value.

Ms Alexander said that her client was intoxicated and clearly not exercising appropriate judgement.

’The vehicle was only driven a short distance,’ said the advocate.

’Mr Keggin has unfortunately been in and out of custody for a number of years. Custody clearly isn’t working. He tells me custody is something he can tolerate.’

Ms Alexander went on to say that Keggin had an alcohol issue and had been heroin dependent for a number of years but would get no support in custody.

The court heard that Keggin has previous convictions for assault causing actual bodily harm, affray, theft, burglary, criminal damage, and breaching a suspended sentence and a probation order.

Magistrates also banned Keggin from entering licensed premises, and buying or being sold alcohol for 12 months.