A thief with a sweet tooth has been given a suspended prison sentence after he carried out a month-long crime spree against ten city shops and businesses

Daniel Heaney, 29, has now also been banned from seven shops, a restaurant and a café for two years.  If he enters any of them during that time he could be jailed for 20 weeks.

York Magistrates Court heard he carried out 13 crimes, including three burglaries, between September 8 and October 8 and targeted some shops more than once.

Several times, he stole chocolate and in one shop, he threw a chocolate bar at a woman.

Heaney, of Hull Road, York, pleaded guilty to three burglaries, eight shop thefts, theft of a bike, one assault charge, one criminal damage charge and failure to attend court.

He was made subject to a 20-week prison sentence suspended for two years on condition he does 12 months’ drug rehabilitation treatment with regular drug tests, 45 days’ rehabilitative activities and does not enter One Stop  Shop on Walmgate, York Souvenir Shop, Sainsbury’s stores on Piccadilly and Micklegate, Co-op stores  in Joseph Terry Grove and Union Terrace, Earl Grey Tearooms on Shambles, Brancusi restaurant in Micklegate and the Spar shop in Brockfield Park Drive, Huntington.  He must also pay a £145 statutory surcharge.

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Heaney was first arrested in August 29 when he smashed a window at the One Stop Shop in Walmgate.  He was released on bail on condition he attend York Magistrates Court on September 26, but failed to do so.

He started his crime spree on September 8 when he stole a Kitkat from the Co-op store on Union Terrace and assaulted a woman in the store by throwing chocolate at her.

On September 15 he was at the Spar shop on Brockfield Park Drive, Huntington, when he stole food and laundry worth £136.84.

On September 17, he was again stealing chocolate when he burgled York Souvenir Shop on Low Ousegate. He also took other items from the shop.

On September 22, he was twice at the Co-op store on Joseph Terry Grove when he stole chocolate and butter.

Two days later,  he stole chocolate twice from Sainsbury’s in Micklegate: Kitkats worth £37 and Ferrero Rocher chocolates and stole a bike from outside Byron Burgers on High Ousegate.

On October 7, he stole laundry products worth £39.65 from Sainsbury’s on Piccadilly, and spirits and meat from the Co-op on Joseph Terry Grove, both on October 7

The next day he carried out his final two crimes; burgling the Brancusi restaurant on Micklegate and the Earl Grey Tea Rooms on Shambles.