A PROLIFIC thief snatched bags from a women’s toilet and two East Oxford bars to support his heroin addiction.

Robert Pyne stole a bag from the toilets in Hertford College before taking items from the Cape of Good Hope and Cafe Tarifa in Cowley Road.

The 37-year-old, who has 72 previous offences to his name, was described by Judge Christopher Compston yesterday as “somebody who thinks it’s quite okay... to steal from people”.

Pyne was sentenced at Oxford Crown Court having earlier admitted burglary and two counts of theft.

Prosecutor Hugh Williams said the defendant, of George Moore Close, Littlemore, stole a handbag with £200 worth of contents from the Hertford College toilets on January 18.

On February 19, Pyne stole a handbag from an American student in the Cape of Good Hope before taking a laptop bag containing a camera, computer and dissertation notes in Cafe Tarifa on February 23. No items have been recovered from the two East Oxford thefts.

The bag stolen from Hertford College was found dumped outside the Bodleian Library.

Judge Compston jailed Pyne for eight months but he was released having served 124 days in custody. He told Pyne: “At 37 you should be ashamed of yourself and I don’t think you are.

“Unless you want to end up dead in the next decade it’s really about time you grew up.”