A burglar jailed for eight years for nine break-ins at shops and gas stations had his sentence halved by the Court of Appeal.

Shayne McRoy Smith, 46, pleaded guilty in January 2009 to raiding the Van Buren Shell gas station on two occasions, Empire Grocery Store, HWP gas station, Serpentine Liquor, C-Mart, People's Pharmacy and Noah's Ark store in summer 2008.

He stole cigarettes, cigarette lighters, phone cards and cash.

Smith, who has a history of similar offences, was handed the eight year sentence by Puisne Judge Carlisle Greaves last March.

However, defence lawyer Marc Daniels successfully argued on Friday that the judge should not have imposed some of the sentences on the various counts to run consecutively. Instead, Mr. Daniels said, they should have run concurrently, meaning a shorter term of imprisonment.

Prosecutor Takiyah Burgess said the eight year sentence was appropriate, especially given Smith's history.

However, the Court of Appeal agreed with Mr. Daniels that Mr. Justice Greaves took the wrong approach. They ruled that the sentences on each of the nine counts should run concurrently, thus reducing the total length of Smith's prison term to four years.