Magistrates' have jailed a Watford thief a month after he dodged prison over multiple offences.

Hertfordshire Police were called just before 4.30am on Monday, June 24, to reports of three men trying door handles on parked cars in Longspring and St Albans Road and taking items from inside.

Officers found three male suspects nearby, who were detained and searched, before one man was arrested and items believed to be stolen were recovered.

Haben Ghebreamlak, of YMCA Charter Place, appeared at Hatfield Magistrates' Court yesterday (June 25) charged with a total of four counts of vehicle interference and two counts of theft from a vehicle.

The 34-year-old pleaded guilty to interfering with three cars and stealing air pods and a smartwatch from a vehicle on Monday.

He also admitted previous charges of stealing £50 in cash from a car in Watford on June 8 and interfering with a car on June 15.

Ghebreamlak was jailed for 30 weeks and ordered to pay a total of £300 in compensation for the air pods victim and £50 for the stolen cash. 

The offences activated a previous six-week suspended sentence he was handed a month prior on May 18 over multiple offences.

Ghebreamlak had admitted stealing a £300 Brompton bicycle from the Cash Converters in Market Street on May 2, handling a stolen American Express bank card on May 16, and possessing the class B drug codeine in Watford on May 16.

At the time, magistrates ruled Ghebreamlak had a “flagrant disregard” for court orders, people and their property, and ordered he pay £300 in compensation to the shop.

Inspector Dan Jones said: “I’d like to thank the member of the public who called in at the time. This enabled us to respond immediately and make the arrest. 

“It’s also a positive result as we can now return the stolen items to their rightful owner.

“I’d like to remind everyone that if you see someone acting suspiciously or something doesn’t feel right, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

"This incident is a great example of how we can respond quickly and catch criminals as soon as it has been reported to us.”