A man, who has appeared in court almost every year since 1996, has been back in front of magistrates again.

Karl Bean, formerly of Saltings Road, Snodland, has racked up 26 convictions for 71 offences.

Despite this, the 35-year-old has only been referred to the probation service twice in 19 years.

The revelation came at Maidstone Magistrates’ Court last week where Bean pleaded guilty to two charges of receiving stolen goods, one of theft, one of committing an offence while subject to a conditional discharge and two of failing to keep to bail conditions.

The court heard how in May last year Bean, formerly of Saltings Road, Snodland, stole a Tom Tom satellite navigation system, wallet and bank cards from a van in Maidstone and received stolen tools.

Unemployed father-of-five Bean, who committed his first offence aged 16 and has been taking drugs since he was 12, was handed an 84-day prison sentence, suspended for 12 months, a one-year supervision order and a six-month drug rehabilitation requirement. He will also have to pay £100 compensation.

Pam Young, from the probation service, gave magistrates an in depth report into Bean’s offending, explaining his drug habit — which at its height had cost him £200 a day — and saying he had appeared in court most years since 1996.

Mrs Young explained he had a troubled childhood and had been out of education since the age of 15.

He only became known to the probation service in 2009 as that was the first time he received any community order despite his low level offending.