A "childlike" thief stole Harry Potter Lego from a toy shop but was caught out months later after losing his ID.

Laurence Pata fled Smyths Toys on Ashford Retail Park in Sevington without paying for £600 worth of sets.

But the 34-year-old, who formerly lived in the town, then lost his ID after escaping Ashford's WHSmith store with handfuls of cigarettes.

He admitted six counts of theft before trial at Canterbury Crown Court and was jailed for nine weeks on Wednesday.

In a bid to feed his drug addiction, Pata targeted the toy chain on two consecutive days, making off with nine Hogwarts-inspired models in November 2021.

Three months later, he then snatched nine packets of cigarettes and two pouches of tobacco from a WHSmith employee in Ashford high street.

But as Pata sped off on a bicycle, he dropped his ID moments after Joanna French, his brave victim, gave chase.

Pata, who has 13 previous convictions, was originally charged with robbery for the WHSmith employee's ordeal.

However prosecutors accepted a guilty plea to the lesser charge of theft earlier this year.

Judge Rupert Lowe told Pata his crime spree was “childlike” and a “sad thing to see a grown man doing".

“You have allowed yourself to become addicted to Class A street drugs, and in doing so, followed the sad path which many before you have followed, and many will follow in the future,” he continued.

“I suspect that when you are out shoplifting you might take the view that they can afford it - I need the money, it’s fine.

'The defendant has been able to stop taking drugs...'

“That is the view of someone who is opting out of society and thinking only about themselves like a child.”

The court heard Pata, now of north-west London, also swiped £100 worth of cosmetics from Boots on Ashford Retail Park in October 2021.

He was forced to drop a number of other items when staff locked the front entrance.

Pata also stole packs of cigarettes from Ashford convenience stores One Stop and Prince shop around the same time, prosecutors said.

But his barrister said he was remorseful and pointed out he had served four months on remand, the equivalent of an eight-month prison sentence.

It means Pata was released on Wednesday on a one-year licence.

His barrister added: “At the time of these offences this defendant did have an addiction, he did have a heroin addiction.

“The defendant also suffers from anxiety and depression, since being in custody the defendant has been able to stop taking drugs.”

She explained Pata, who remained quiet in the dock, was being treated under medical supervision with methadone.

Judge blasts police over 'cut and paste' victim statements

A judge has rapped Kent Police for playing a “dangerous game” by handing dubious information to the courts.

Rupert Lowe said the force “will undermine victims of crime” after it appeared to “cut and paste” statements from victims.

The statements give people the chance to describe how the crime affected their lives, families, and businesses, and play a crucial part in sentencing.

Canterbury Crown Court heard on Wednesday PC Darren Laker submitted three identical statements from three separate victims in Pata's case.

All three Ashford businesses, which were targeted between 2021-2022, are independent of each other.

Judge Lowe told the court the statements were “very, very undermining of the police”.

He continued: “If the police think it’s okay to cut and paste they will undermine victims of crime, so the court will no longer believe what they are being told comes from the victim.

“The police are playing a very dangerous game doing that.

“I strongly deprecate this practice and, as far as I’m concerned, it should cease immediately.”

'The police are playing a very dangerous game'

The generic statements - which the judge said would be “pretty accurate for almost every shop” - told how the thefts cost money and resources and “damaged reputation".

Detective Chief Superintendent Adam Ball from Kent Police said: “Kent Police will always place victims at the heart of what we do and our officers will always strive to provide support throughout court cases, which can often be a traumatic experience.

“In the case highlighted by Judge Lowe which included one offender committing two thefts, a burglary and a robbery from four businesses in Ashford, an officer spoke with all four victims who had been affected by the crimes outlined. Each provided an impact statement which was included as part of the evidential statement.

"Two of the four victims were provided with a one paragraph response as part of the business impact statement which outlined how theft has a number of adverse impacts on their store’s operations.

“This paragraph was provided to assist the business in providing a response and was shared with the two companies involved prior to being submitted. Every opportunity was given for amendments to be made and the businesses agreed on the wording. While well intended, this is not routine practice for Kent Police.

“Officers are provided with ongoing training on how to support victims in completing their impact statements. This is focused on ensuring the victim is given an opportunity to put in their own words how crime has affected them personally.

"We are constantly trying to improve our compliance with the victim’s code of practice to ensure the delivery of a first class service to victims all crime and to protect the most vulnerable in our society.”