A BRAZEN thief breached a night time bail curfew to steal a Henry vacuum cleaner from Greenock's Tesco as part of a series of shoplifting raids to fund his addiction to crack cocaine.

Patrick Altizio helped himself to around £800 worth of electrical goods from the Dalrymple Street store in multiple raids just days apart.

The serial crook's lawyer told a sentencing hearing at the sheriff court that his client stole the merchandise 'to fund an addiction to alcohol and crack cocaine'.

Altizio,43, will now be assessed for a possible drug treatment and testing order in a bid to end his cycle of crime.

He admitted to seven charges - including three breaches of bail curfew orders - and his not guilty pleas to a further five allegations of shoplifting were accepted by the Crown.

Altizio stole the Henry vacuum cleaner - valued at £159 - from the electrical section of Tesco at around 9pm on May 14 last year.

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The offence was committed during his 7pm-7am court-imposed restrictions.

He stole an identical item from the same store the following day, before returning to Tesco in the morning of June 4 to lift two air fryers each valued at £119.

The next day, he took another air fryer worth £139 and a vacuum cleaner valued at £149.

None of the stolen items were recovered.

Solicitor Gerry Keenan told the court: "This was motivated by his need to obtain money to fund an addiction to alcohol and crack cocaine.

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"He said it was planned and he is ashamed of his actions."

Urging Sheriff David Pender to 'put faith in him to see whether he can cooperate in the community', Mr Keenan said: "The [criminal justice social work] report does identify a viable and credible way this case might be dealt with in the community."

Sheriff Pender told Altizio: "Given your record and the nature of offending I would be entitled to send you to prison but that would be a little myopic given the terms of the report."

The case was adjourned until March 6 for a drug treatment and testing order assessment and Altizio, of Gael Street, was granted bail until then.