A drug addict who stole three poppy tins was today given a maximum 12-month jail sentence as he admitted taking five others.

Adrian Holmes, 29, was caught on CCTV taking one of the Royal British Legion tins from Rowes Newsmarket, in Wantage, on Remembrance Sunday, just hours after thousands of people across the county had commemorated the 90th anniversary of the end of the First World War.

He admitted three charges of theft for taking the tins from Rowes, Charlton Park garden centre, in Wantage, and the Spar shop at Didcot Parkway station – but yesterday he asked for another 11 offences to be taken into consideration, including stealing five more poppy tins and cash from a Help for Heroes collection box.

Magistrates were told Holmes, of Giles Road, in Littlemore, Oxford, was remorseful and even wanted to do some work for the Legion to make up for the thefts.

But last night, Legion county manager Mike Henderson was apprehensive about accepting any offer from Holmes as he branded him the “lowest of the low”.

Clare Barclay, prosecuting, said: “He stole the boxes, took the money and then returned and put the boxes back on the counter.”

She said Royal British Legion officials had calculated, on previous years’ takings, that the boxes would have held between £30 and £150 each.

Holmes’s solicitor, Jan Matthews, said: “Heroin is the key to his behaviour and the only way he will stop offending is when the heroin addiction is beaten.”

He said Holmes “feels great remorse and very much regrets what he has done”.

Mr Matthews added: “If he gets the opportunity he would like to work with the Royal British Legion to redeem himself after what he has done.”

Sentencing Holmes to a total of 12 months, magistrates’ chairman Richard Jones said: “These were vulnerable victims deliberately targeted and this was inexcusable.

“They were also committed while you were on a community order from the court for other offences.

“Our punishment is for the protection of the public.”

Rowes manager Michael Brown said: “Taking everything into consideration, including all the other offences, he should have got a lot longer.

“It was a sickening thing to do, made worse by being on November 9, when people across the country were paying tribute to the war dead on Remembrance Day.”

Phil Stevenson, manager of the Charlton Garden Centre, said: “The sentence by the magistrates sends out the right message that people who steal from the vulnerable will be very strongly dealt with.”

Mr Henderson said: “It’s not long enough when you consider that the money he stole helps ex-servicemen and their dependents.

“The punishment doesn’t fit the crime, not in my eyes. Stealing from charity boxes is the lowest of the low. It’s disgraceful.”

Told about Holmes’s offer, he said: “I would have to think about whether I would want him on my team.

“I take what he’s saying, but he might just be saying it to make it easier for himself.”

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