A thief must pay almost £600 after he admitted swiping a tablet computer and more than £250 in cash in two separate thefts from the same man.

Michael Knight, of Park View in Stevenage, took the Kindle Fire tablet from Peter Crumbie on December 7, and pawned it at a shop in the town two days later – getting £16 for it.

Knight, 26, stole from Mr Crumbie again on December 15, this time taking £251.85 in cash.

The chairman of the bench at Stevenage Magistrates’ Court took Knight’s guilty plea into account when passing sentence.

Knight has been fined £50 for each of the two thefts and for the fraud he committed in declaring the Kindle to be his and pawning it.

In addition to this he has been ordered to pay the £251.85 back to Mr Crumbie, as well as £70 compensation for the Kindle.

He must also pay a £20 victim surcharge and £85 in costs – bringing the total sum to £576.85.