A man with 100 crimes on his record used his membership card to walk into a Norwich library and steal a charity donation box.

Kevin Hales, 52, went into Mile Cross Library and took the charity donation box containing £65.

Laura McLeod, prosecuting at Norwich Magistrates Court, said Hales was interviewed by police on December 17, 2019, admitted theft and took a conditional caution.

But he failed to repay the cash by the end of April this year and was back in court.

Hales, of Palmer Road, Norwich, who has 48 convictions for more than 100 offences, admitted theft.

The court heard he went to Mile Cross library, on Aylsham Road, on Thursday, July 1 and repaid the money.

Dave Foulkes, mitigating, said on the day of the theft, Hales “had taken too much of his prescribed medication”.

He wanted to pay the money back, Mr Foulkes said, but was not sure when the library was open during Covid lockdown.

City magistrates sentenced Hales to a three-month conditional discharge.

The defendant was also ordered to pay £50 in prosecution costs and a £21 victim surcharge.