School wins award for its play times TV soprano to sing at concert Jail for man who raided pharmacy
A homeless man who stole hundreds of pounds of prescription drugs from a Bath pharmacy has been jailed. Alan Holvey was sent to prison on October 1 after he admitted carrying out a ‘smash and grab’ burglary at Wellsway Pharmacy the previous week. The 40-year-old, of no fixed address, was brought before Bath Magistrates’ Court charged with a separate burglary at Well Pharmacy on Claremont Terrace. But, after pleading guilty to breaking into and stealing prescription drugs from the pharmacy on September 29, Holvey confessed to the burglary at Wellsway Pharmacy as well. Wellsway Pharmacy owner Helen Darvill estimated she lost about £500 worth of diazepam, liquid morphine and other medicines in the early morning raid on Wednesday, September 26. Hoping for a reduced sentence, Holvey also admitted to two thefts from shops in the city, according to Avon and Somerset Police. Magistrates sentenced him to 26 weeks in prison and ordered him to pay £350 in compensation. Members of the public reported the pharmacy break-ins as they took place, helping police catch Holvey. A call from a witness who reported seeing two suspicious men in the Bear Flat area led to police discovering the burglary at Wellsway Pharmacy at about 2.30am. Three days later, also in the early hours, officers patrolling the city and a police dog and handler arrested a man and seized prescription drugs and perfume believed to be stolen from Wells Pharmacy. Neighbourhood Inspector Sarah Treweek said: “I’d like to thank the people who called to tell us about these burglaries as they happened. “This shows that Bath is the sort of city where people look out for their neighbourhoods. “Officers are here 24/7 working to keep Bath safe, but information from our communities is vital. “You know what’s happening in your street. Tell us so that we can allocate our resources effectively and stand a better chance of preventing and detecting crime.” If you have any information about a crime, call 101, or visit the enquiry office in Manvers Street, open 10am to 6pm Monday to Friday. Alternatively call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.