A man who was living rough in Swindon has been jailed for eight weeks after a court heard how he threw two computer monitors on the floor at a bail hostel.

Heroin user Stephen Young had been sent to the Ashley House hostel in Bristol after committing a burglary and two thefts in the town.

But the 37-year-old flew into a rage after being told he was being thrown out of the hostel for being abusive to staff and swept the screens onto the floor.

Nicola Wootton, prosecuting, told magistrates the first shop-lifting took place when he took sweets worth £1.95.

A few weeks later he was caught taking a £60 jacket from Debenhams, the court heard.

Miss Wootton said "That has been charged as a burglary because he was banned from the store. A banning order was issued in January."

She said that when he was arrested he told officers that he had wanted to get caught.

The court in Swindon heard that he was released to live at the Bristol bail hostel while pre-sentence reports were prepared.

But on Monday May 10 he was caught stealing eau de toilette worth £90 from Boots in the city.

When he was questioned by officers he told them he had a heroin problem.

Three days later the police were called to the bail hostel because he had breached his bail.

Young, of Foreman Street, Calne, pleaded guilty burglary, two thefts and a criminal damage.

The court heard that he had a number of previous convictions and was jailed for 14 days in March for shoplifting.

Rob Ross, defending, said "He has indicated to me many problems exacerbated by his short term use of heroin.

"Combined with his medica-tion for mental health problems it was no good. But when he was arrested at Trinity Road in Bristol he was found not to be using crack cocaine or heroin.

"When he is released he will be drug free apart from his prescribed medication."

Although magistrates jailed him for eight weeks for the matters he had already served about three weeks in custody awaiting sentence.