Nathan Higgins, of no fixed address pleaded guilty at Brighton Crown Court for what the court heard the judge describe as a ‘spree of offences’ that demonstrated the continuation of an ‘appalling record of flouting the law and failing to comply with the terms of previous court orders.’
Higgins received a 56-week prison term for crimes involving breaking into business premises, stealing charity collections, shoplifting, and stealing a valuable bicycle.
He has close ties with Hastings, but is also well known across Sussex, with offences on record in other towns, including Eastbourne and Brighton.
Previously this year he again appeared at Brighton Magistrates Court and was convicted of a domestic burglary, fraudulent use of bank cards, and two further burglaries from business premises.
At his most recent sentencing hearing on 31st October his charges included:
- Theft of a £900 mountain bike from outside a pub in Hastings Old Town in October 2023
- Breaking into the Clarence pub on 28th August 2024 and stealing money from charity boxes, raffle collections, and cash floats
- Breaking into the Horse and Groom pub on 2nd September in St Leonards and stealing both alcohol and charity collections destined for St Michael’s Hospice, CAB, and Guide Dogs for the Blind
- Stealing a war veterans’ charity box from the bar at the John Logie Baird pub in Hastings on 5th September 2024
- On the 9th September breaking into the Plough Inn and stealing raffle and charity collections
- Stealing five bottles of Vodka from a Sainsbury’s store in Hastings on 18th September
- Stealing further bottles of spirits from Sainsbury’s on 26th September
- On 1st October stealing £150 worth of meat from a Co-Op store in Eastbourne
- On 2nd October stealing a £200 jacket from Millets in Eastbourne
It was also reported that after earlier suspended sentences he had failed to comply with court orders to report to and engage with the probation service.
Higgins chose to represent himself in court, but gave no excuse or mitigation for his offences, all of which he pleaded guilty to.
The Judge, in passing sentence, stated that it was clear Higgins had made no effort to comply with previous orders to comply with the drug and alcohol rehabilitation services that had been offered to him, and that his immediate reversion to being a ‘one man crime spree’ after his most recent conviction led to no other course of action then the imposition of a 56-week prison sentence in order to ‘protect the public from his obvious proclivity for re-offending’.
John Bownas, manager of the Hastings ShopWatch scheme, said: “Nathan is clearly someone who needs real help and support to get him back to a less chaotic lifestyle.
“It’s unfortunate he has found himself in this situation, but, whilst we can all sympathise with people who have genuinely fallen onto hard times, it’s still necessary for the courts to issue prison sentences if offenders fail to take advantage of rehabilitation services that are offered to them.
“The judge made it quite clear that his offences were totally unacceptable, and local businesses will no doubt be glad that he is off the streets for a few months at least.
“We will be doing everything possible to ensure that on his release every effort is made to help him overcome his addictions and get out of his pattern of repeat offending, but if he falls back into his old ways, we will help his victims to once again secure justice.”
