'Shameful' Kettering thief locked up after stealing cash from charity bucket

A ‘shameful’ thief has been handed a prison sentence after stealing cash from a charity bucket in Kettering.

Robert Gray took an unknown amount of money from the collection at Nationwide in High Street.

He entered the building society branch just after 9am on July 28 last year before using a small blade to cut the ties on the bucket and take the coins.

The 53-year-old, who is currently in HMP Peterborough, appeared before Northampton Magistrates’ Court last week where he pleaded guilty to theft.

Magistrates jailed him for 10 weeks and said he had a ‘flagrant disregard’ for court orders.

The charity the collection was being held for has not been confirmed.

A Northamptonshire Police spokeswoman said: “Stealing from a charity is a shameful crime and we hope that Robert Gray reflects on his behaviour in order to make better choices in the future.”