DRUG addict John Gibbons has been sent back to jail after he made off with hundreds of pounds worth of DVD players from a Devizes supermarket to fund his habit.

Gibbons had only been out of prison for four months after serving three quarters of a four year sentence for heroin dealing, when he was caught stealing.

But the 35-year-old is back behind bars after magistrates sentenced him to six months' custody after hearing how he went on the run after being arrested.

Guy Knell, prosecuting, told the court that Gibbons was only brought to justice after he was caught trying to steal a rail of clothes worth more than £2,000 from a Swindon store.

He told magistrates in Swindon that staff at Safeway in Devizes became suspicious of two men in the store at about 6pm on July 1 last year.

The men were seen to pick up four boxed DVD players and leave the store without paying for them.

"Outside the store an employee of the Wiltshire police saw the men leaving and getting into a silver X-registration Ford Escort," he said.

"The witness followed the car believing a theft to have taken place and contacted the police. The car was stopped by police in Wootton Bassett."

Gibbons admitted taking the machines. He was released on bail to appear before magistrates in Chippenham two weeks later, but he failed to turn up.

He spent five months on the run until he was caught stealing clothes worth £2,345 from British Home Stores in Swindon before Christmas.

Mr Knell told the court that the defendant, who was drunk at the time, was seen wheeling out a rail of jackets, trousers, shirts and skirts.

Gibbons of Whitbourne Avenue, Park North, Swindon, pleaded guilty to two counts of theft and one of failing to surrender to court.

He was jailed for four years in December 2000 after admitting two counts of possessing £1,500 worth of heroin with intent to supply.

Con Fernandes, defending, said that when Gibbons was released in March he had fallen back in with his old habits. He started taking heroin again and that is why he was caught stealing in the summer and failed to make it to court.

He said in August Gibbons had managed to detoxify and was now seeing the Swindon and Wiltshire Alcohol and Drugs Service regularly.

He said the latest offence took place when his client was drunk and wanted to provide a Christmas for his family.

Gibbons, he said, had been a drug addict for 12 years and wanted to get his life straight after seeing many of his peers die or suffer serious ill health as a result of heroin use.