Addict sold stolen ring for three hundredths of its value

Tuesday 30 September 2014 Updated: 02/10 11:09

JAMES Fallon had no idea a diamond ring stolen in a burglary at his neighbour’s caravan was worth £16,000 – and sold it for less than £50, a judge has heard.

Drug addict Fallon of Brandon Lane, Brandon, was jailed for eight months by the judge at Warwick Crown Court after pleading guilty to handling stolen property.

Prosecutor Andrew Tucker said that earlier this year a caravan on a site in Brandon Lane was broken into and a quantity of valuable property was taken.

Among the haul, which included electrical items, were a number of pieces of jewellery including a £16,000 diamond ring.

After receiving the ring 25 year-old Fallon, who was living in the neighbouring caravan at the time, unsuccessfully tried to sell the ring to one woman, before selling it to someone called Hayley Heath for less than £50.

When he was arrested Fallon, who has previous convictions in the Republic of Ireland but none in this country, admitted what he had done, but said he had not known the true value of the ring.

Ian Windridge, defending, said since being remanded in custody Fallon had enrolled on various courses, and did not have a regular source of heroin which had blighted him while living on the caravan site.

Jailing Fallon, Judge Richard Griffith-Jones told him: “Because of your physical and chronological proximity to the theft of this very valuable property, this is a very serious case of handling stolen goods.”