A PROLIFIC thief who has plagued bike owners across the city has been handed a jail term after his latest cycle of thefts.

Serial offender Sofiene Menhnan, of Luther Street, Oxford, had already admitted two counts of theft of a pedal cycle.

The 41-year old stole the bikes, valued at about £300 each and which were chained up at Gloucester Green in the city, on May 23 and November 17 last year.

Prosecutor Julian Lynch said at his sentencing hearing at Oxford Crown Court on Tuesday how during the second bike theft Menhnan was caught in the act and the bicycle owner gave chase.

Police soon joined the pursuit, the court heard, after Menhnan was recognised but he evaded officers after cycling through a set of bollards.

Despite police getting out of their car and chasing on foot it was sometime later that he was arrested and the bikes were never recovered.

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The court heard during his sentencing hearing that Menhnan had a string of previous convictions for similar theft offences and for offences of dishonesty.

His defence barrister Francis Howard said that Menhnan stole the bikes as a means to fund a drug habit.

He said: “This is a particular type of Oxford crime. The defendant is addicted to class A drugs and they are stolen and sold for small amounts of cash.

“We have a cycle, if you will excuse the pun, where bikes are stolen and sold on Cowley Road for drugs and cash. There is no suggestion of theft by order, of working in a gang. He is a solo, freelance drug addict bike thief.”

He added that Menhnan was ‘remorseful’ for what he had done.

Sentencing, Judge Maria Lamb noted that as well as Menhnan’s long record of offences he had also failed to comply with numerous court orders and suspended sentence. In light of his record Menhnan was jailed for a total of eight months for the two thefts and must pay a victim surcharge.