A heroin addict who went on a stealing spree at the expense of his former employer has been jailed for six months.

Royston Place, 40, stole cash, soda and other items from vending machines belonging to John Barritt and Sons after he was sacked as a service technician by the company in August.

Magistrates Court was yesterday told the best way to deal with Place would be to put him on a long-term residential programme to tackle his drug addiction.

However, the Island's Harbour Light rehabilitation scheme, run by the Salvation Army, is not secure and has no room for any more patients until mid January, the court heard.

Instead, Senior Magistrate Archibald Warner sentenced Place to prison, followed by two years' probation with a drugs treatment programme at the direction of the court service.

Two weeks ago, Mr. Warner delayed sentencing because probation staff told him the Island did not have the facilities to provide Place with the treatment he needed.

Place, from Town Hill Road, Smith's, who admitted handling stolen goods and theft, had told the court a former colleague had handed him a set of keys which gave him access to vending machines across the Island.

Colleague Keith Foggo threw the keys to Place and told him: "I don't like the way you got terminated. You still want to get paid by John Barritt?"

Soon after, a vending machine at the Fairmont Southampton was found to have $500 missing and no sign of forced entry.

Place also used the key to steal from a number of other machines across the Island, the court was told.

Mr. Warner had previously complained the lack of long-term residential treatment facilities "made a mockery" of the court system.

Sentencing yesterday, he said: "The report recommended a long-term residential treatment programme. Harbour Light provides a long-term residential programme, but it is not secure and that's not available anyhow."