A MAN has been sent to prison for eight weeks after he stole a woman's handbag and then used bank cards that did not belong to him.

Swindon Magistrates' Court heard that James Cousins, 31, of Salisbury, showed a “flagrant disregard for people and their property” when he was sentenced on Monday, November 11.

He was sentenced after he indicated a guilty plea to one count of theft from a motor vehicle and two counts of fraud by false representation.

He was initially due to make his plea a week earlier, but the defence requested an adjournment because Cousins refused to leave his cell.

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On June 12, 2023, Cousins stole the handbag and its contents from a vehicle in Salisbury.

He used stolen bank cards to purchase goods worth £100.26 on the same day.

The next day, he used stolen bank cards to “to make a gain, namely £2.90 for yourself”.

Magistrates sentenced him to an eight-week custodial sentence.

They said his offences were “so serious that only a custodial sentence can be justified” and he had shown “a flagrant disregard for people and their property”.

Cousins' guilty plea was taken into account when he was sentenced. No order was made for him to pay court costs.