Addict stripped £5,000 of lead off church roof

A DRUG addict who stole lead worth more than £5,000 from a church roof has avoided an immediate prison sentence.

John Steel targeted St James' Church in Audley in May last year, just months after it suffered considerable financial damage because of another theft at Christmas 2007.

Replacement lead was bought and scaffolding put up around the church by builders when Steel struck, Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court heard yesterday.

The 28-year-old, of Werrington Road, Audley, admitted the theft.

David Bennett, prosecuting, said: "At 5.13am, the police attended the church yard.

"They heard noises on the roof and saw a figure jump down and run off."

Police returned to the scene and found lead strips.

Steel was found in woodland at the back of the church and was arrested.

Jason Holt, defending, said Steel had struggled with a drug addiction for more than 10 years.

He added that despite Steel's drug problem, he was capable of work and had built up a firm with his business partner.

He said he was now desperate to reform and had made a considerable effort to do this while in custody, testing negative for drugs.

Mr Holt added: "He is now 28 years old and does not want to approach his 30th birthday still as a drug addict."

Judge Robert Trevor-Jones said Steel had a considerable history relating to crimes of dishonesty.

He imposed a 40-week prison sentence but suspended it for two years.

The judge said: "This theft of lead was a very mean offence.

"I accept you were not the only person involved but you knew what you were being asked to do.

"In thefts such as these, the staff and congregation invariably have to pay the costs of repair themselves."

Graham Baddeley, warden of St James' Church, said the congregation had been devastated by the second theft.

But he said he accepted Steel's sentence because he had much sympathy with people whose lives were taken over by drugs.

He said: "In the first loss, we were covered by insurance, but the second time we were not.

"The builders left the scaffolding in place while they were replacing the lead and there was a ladder that the thieves must have used.

"The church suffered a fire about two-and-a-half years ago.

"It seemed that every time we built the church up, it was knocked down again."

Mr Baddeley said the lead from the May theft was recovered, but they decided not to reinstall it because of the cost.

He said the church decided to retain it and use it in a £128,000 restoration of the church tower this year, made possible by funding from English Heritage.