three months this week.

Kevin Howard, 24, of Cedar Hill, admitted he stole clothing from three Hamilton shops on July 10 and from five shops on July 23.

The value of the pants, shirts, and other items stolen on the first shopping spree was $346, while Howard collected loot worth $358 on his second trip, Police prosecutor Sgt. Earl Kirby said in Magistrates' Court.

All the items were later recovered, he said.

Shannon's boutique, the Sportseller, True Reflections, and the Sportsman's Shop were among the stores Howard visited, Sgt. Kirby said.

"At the time of these particular incidents, I was on drugs,'' Howard told acting Magistrate the Wor. Kenneth Brown. "I had a serious drug problem -- since then, I've sort of straightened out that problem.

"I'm sorry for the offence,'' Howard said. "I'm guilty. I'm here to face the music.'' Howard has previous convictions for theft and possession of stolen goods and was once sentenced to nine months in prison for shoplifting, court was told.

But Mr. Brown said he would show Howard leniency by sentencing him to three months in prison on each of eight theft counts, with all the sentences to be served concurrently.

"This is the last chance you're going to get, because you've got a terrible record,'' he told Howard. Since the man had taken steps to address his drug problem, "I'm just going to give you a short shock sentence.''