A MAN who systematically snatched high end mobile phones and a laptop from Facebay sellers he arranged to meet at a car park, was spared jail because of his efforts to beat drug and alcohol addiction.

Lewis Jay Cameron, 21, of Medeway, Sandown, admitted three Facebay-related thefts from Marks and Spencer's car park, Cowes, on May 20 last year, plus a shoplifting from Cowes Co-op, with accomplices, on November 19.

In doing so, he admitted a breach of a community order, made by magistrates on the same day as the thefts took place, together with failing to attend appointments on November 30 and December 7 last year.

Regarding the car park thefts, one woman arranged to sell an iPhone 8 for £300 to Cameron on Facebay, under the profile name 'Lewis Smirnoff Jay Lewis'.

When she and her husband arrived, Cameron approached their car, snatched the phone and ran off, said Ann Smout, prosecuting, at the Isle of Wight Magistrates' Court.

Another woman, with her daughter, went to the same car park to meet Cameron and sell him an iPhone 7 Plus for £240, then a man a bit later that evening to sell him his Apple Mac Book Pro for £170.

The same thing happened to all — Cameron snatched the items and ran off.

When arrested, Cameron made a 'no comment' interview to police.

Cameron then failed to attend the Isle of Wight Magistrates' Court on March 6 and was subsequently arrested to secure his attendance there on Monday (26).

Mrs Smout told the court significant planning was involved in the thefts.

Regarding the Co-op beer theft, Cameron was caught on CCTV. The beer stolen was worth £9.75.

For Cameron, James Cameron said his client, who was addicted to heroin and was an alcoholic, went to Essex to stay with his grandmother following a family bereavement and managed to get himself off drugs and booze.

At the time the offences were committed, Cameron was under pressure to feed his addictions and was out of control, his solicitor said.

"He really struggled with addiction, which was the root cause of his offending behaviour, but he has, to his credit, turned his life around," said Mr Cameron.

The bench, who took Cameron's success in getting off drugs and alcoholism into account, handed Cameron six months' jail, suspended for 18 months rather than immediate imprisonment.

His probation period includes him doing 20 rehabilitation sessions. He must pay £719.75 in compensation to his theft victims and was warned that should he flout the terms of his court order, he could expect to be jailed.