A THIEF collected discarded till receipts and used them to obtain 'refunds' for goods he took from store shelves — after stealing a doctor's bank card.

Christopher Cummings raided bins for the itemised product lists and used them to match the merchandise they corresponded to in order to get cash payouts.

Cummings, 31, earlier sneaked into a doctor's surgery room and took the medic's debit card before using it to make contactless payments for goods.

The thieving dad-to-be sobbed in the dock of Greenock Sheriff Court as details of the offences were narrated.

He is now in prison after carrying out the receipts ruse for amounts as low as £6.47 at B&M, Tesco and Aldi in May.

Cummings, of South Street, helped himself to the doctor's bank card at the Mount Pleasant Medical Practice.

He had been released early from a prison sentence for plundering a woman's bank account with a stolen card when he committed the crimes between May 3 and 26.

Prosecutor Lindy Scaife said: "The accused is seen on CCTV picking up receipts from a bins or from the ground outwith the stores.

"He selected items which corresponded with the goods itemised on the receipts."

Fiscal depute Ms Scaife added: "The card in the other charge belongs to a doctor at the practice and it was within his coat hanging on the back of the door of his surgery room.

"The doctor left the room for a few minutes and the accused was seen to enter the room, although he had no appointment.

"He then left the surgery and used the card to purchase, by way of contactless payment, a variety of goods."

Defence lawyer Gerry Keenan said: "Since a teenager he has been in the grip, to varying extents, of controlled drugs, which have to be funded often by desperate measures.

"He wants to engage with integrated drugs services upon his release.

"He knows he has a problem that has to be dealt with."

The court heard that Cummings' partner is currently pregnant with his first child.

Sheriff Daniel Kelly told him: "Custody is the only option in my view."

The sheriff sentenced Cummings to eight months, plus a further 79 days which is the unexpired portion of his previous jail term.