A prolific car thief from Stevenage has been jailed after being found guilty of four thefts from vehicles in Hitchin.

Stefan Jakeman – of Ditchmore Lane in Stevenage – denied but was found guilty of five crimes committed in Hitchin’s Highover Way, King’s Road, Radcliffe Road, Orchard Road and Benslow Lane.

Stevenage magistrates found that overnight between Thursday and Friday, December 1 and 2, the 26-year-old had interfered with a black Hyundai in Benslow Lane, and stolen a silver bracelet, headlights and coin from a car in Highover Way.

The same night he took two carrier bags full of sweets from a car in Orchard Road, and the next night in Radcliffe Road he stole a Morphy Richards steam mop and a house key.

A week earlier, on November 23, he stole a sat-nav and associated cradle and charging cable from a car in King’s Road.

Jakeman was already serving a community sentence at the time of the offences – and chairman of the bench David Knight sentenced him to three weeks’ imprisonment for each of the four thefts, making a total sentence of 12 weeks behind bars.

Jakeman must also pay a total of £381 in compensation and a £115 victim surcharge – a total of £496.

Charges that Jakeman had stolen a Vauxhall Corsa wheel trim and a bike between November 30 and December 5 were dismissed.