Judge's brutal message to prolific Nottingham offender as he jails him on his 44th birthday

He was caught at one crime by staff at the firm he targeted

A prolific Nottingham offender has found himself sent to prison on his 44th birthday. Nottingham Crown Court heard how heavily-convicted Donovan Watson was challenged by staff at a city firm after he was spotted trying car doors and looking for items to steal.

The Carrington drug addict also used a stolen bank card from one car to pay for goods and was caught with wraps of crack cocaine. And his latest batch of offences saw him breach a suspended sentence for burglary.

Handing him a 15-month prison term, Judge Michael Auty KC said: “Today, as you know better than anyone, is your 44th birthday. What a waste of a life it has been so far and what shame it is to see you here again.

“You have a number of difficulties in your life, not all of which are of your own making and I recognise for periods of time you have done your level best to get yourself off drugs. Ironically, it’s your time in prison that seems to have brought that about.”

Dan Scothern, prosecuting, said the spate of offending began with a fraud in Radford on June 29, 2023, when Watston, of Pelham Rad, got into an unlocked car, took a bank card from the centre console and tried to use it to pay for items at a nearby shop.

He said on May 9, this year, staff at First Enterprise, in Sherwood Road, spotted him in their private car park as he tried car doors and got into one vehicle. The prosecutor said: “The owner of the vehicle went out and challenged him and there was a foot chase before staff were able to apprehend him until the police arrived.”

Mr Scothern said on June 10, this year, Watson was caught trying door handles to get into another car and on June 25, he was stopped by officers and arrested and on him were three wraps of crack cocaine. The prosecutor said the defendant was spotted inside cars he was trying the door handles on again on July 21, in The Park.

Watson, who has 26 previous court appearances for 41 offences, pleaded guilty to charges of vehicle interference, fraud, possession of crack cocaine and to being in breach of a suspended sentence.

Luc Chignell, mitigating, said: “Clearly there is a pattern we can see because people who are addicted to drugs are often unable to resist their pull and that is exactly the case with Mr Watson. But it has been to his benefit that since being remanded into custody for the past three m months he is now totally clean.

“He is not even on methadone and went completely cold turkey. Whether on this day, his 44th birthday, it is time for a meaningful change?”