A man who stole cheque books from fellow students has been sentenced to a total of six months in a young offenders' institution by Colchester magistrates.

Danilo Obradovic, 20, who is staying at the Globe Hotel, North Station Road, Colchester, had admitted four charges of theft and five of using a false instrument between June 30 and October 19 at an earlier court appearance and appeared on Friday for sentencing.

Karen Jones, prosecuting, told the court that Obradovic had been a student at Essex University, as had all the aggrieved from whom he had stolen cheque books.

Mrs Jones said that some of the offences had been committed while Obradovic was on police bail after he had been charged for the first spate of cheque book thefts.

She asked for a total of £260 compensation to be paid to the aggrieved parties, with £100 for HSBC bank and £775 for Lloyds TSB bank.

Obradovic, who did not wish to be represented, said he was forced to give up his studies in June because his sponsor "cut him off".

The court heard he then became reliant on his mother, who lives in Serbia, for money.

Though Obradovic said he did not wish to be represented, duty solicitor Richard Plummer said: "The reason he got into difficulties with the cheque books is because his support comes from his mother, whose earnings are very small, about £150."

Obradovic was not ordered to pay cost or compensation.

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