A THIEF who stole from a pharmacy seconds after collecting a prescription has been ordered to carry out a “Thinking Skills” programme.

Charles Jones attended a Boots store and, after picking up the drugs, he stole XLS medical diet tablets worth £85 by stuffing them in his bag.

He also stole a battery charger and two 64 gigabyte memory cards.

The goods, stolen on May 26, were worth a combined £250.

Jones admitted the theft when he appeared at Colchester Magistrates’ Court yesterday.

The 22-year-old, formerly of Evans Court, Halstead, stole the goods from the Boots store in Halstead on May 26.

In August Jones also made off without paying for petrol at a station in Halstead having filled up with the tank with £35.03 of fuel.

Jones, who now lives in Aveley, has previously made off without paying on more than one occasion.

District Judge Susan Holdham delayed sentencing for the probation service to see the repeat offender after he admitted both crimes.

District Judge Holdham said: “Thinking Skills is what I think you need.

“You keep doing things without thinking.”

Jones was sentenced to an 18 month community order.

It included 19 sessions to include the Probation Service’s Thinking Skills programme and ten rehabilitation activity days.

Jones, who is starting a job as a chef and suffers from ADHD, was also fined £100 and ordered to pay £170 in costs and charges.

District Judge Holdham also ordered Jones pay the £250 worth of goods back to Boots and compensation for the petrol stolen.

The court heard the diet pills were recovered unused from his home but could not be re-sold by that point.