A DRUG addict who was given a second chance after stealing his father’s collection of antique coins has been jailed for 27 months.

Matthew Kinnaird, of Hazel Crescent, Kidlington, was sentenced at Oxford Crown Court.

On Thursday the 30-year-old pleaded guilty to stealing alcohol from pub The Cape of Good Hope, in Iffley Road, on July 24 last year.

It came just one year after Kinnaird was spared jail for stealing a collection of gold and silver coins from his father who was suffering from Parkinson’s Disease and osteoporosis.

Judge Peter Ross said “the court had been merciful” when sentencing Kinnaird previously.

He added: “You have been given many, many chances.

“The time has come, I’m afraid, for a custodial sentence.”

Alexandra Bull, prosecuting, said Kinnaird stole £60 worth of alcohol from The Cape of Good Hope just after 10pm.

She said he told police he had been “going through a hectic time” and was using alcohol as a substitute for heroin.

Ms Bull said the theft put Kinnaird in breach of a suspended sentence order, which was handed to him in January last year for possession of crack cocaine, a Class A drug, with intent to supply.

She said he was also in breach of a community order handed to him in March 2014 for the theft of his father’s coins.

Ms Bull said Kinnaird, who has 52 previous convictions, also admitted stealing champagne from a Kidlington Co-op store on February 11 this year.

Stuart Matthews, defending, said Kinnaird had been using drugs for almost 11 years but was on a methadone prescription to control his addiction.

He added: “He is this close to finding something in his life that he has never had before, which is a drug-free existence.”

Mr Matthews said Kinnaird told him he had been drug-free for 12 months but Judge Ross said drug tests showed this was untrue.

Speaking to Kinnaird, Judge Ross said: “You set to mislead me this morning.

“You continued to use drugs during the summer and autumn of last year.”

Judge Ross added he would activate Kinnaird’s 21-month suspended sentence in full and also sentenced him to a further six months in jail.