A builder who connected his house to the mains supply after having his electricity cut off has been jailed.

Stephen Loughlin, 57, of Castlegate Street, Harwich, reconnected his own electricity supply and used more than £1,000 worth in more than two years, a court heard.

Gerald Isted, prosecuting, told Colchester magistrates officers had attended Loughlin's home address on February 1 and found the electricity supply to the house had been connected to the mains underground.

Loughlin had his electricity cut off in 1992, Mr Isted added.

He said Loughlin had been convicted of similar offences in 1984 and 1987. He had admitted dishonestly using electricity between October 1992 and February 1999 at an earlier hearing.

Magistrates jailed Loughlin for four months on Friday.

Brian Simpson, mitigating, said Loughlin had connected the electricity about 2 years ago.

He said Loughlin lived in a listed building which had fallen into a state of disrepair and as the roof leaked, the house suffered from damp.

"After trying other methods of drying out his house, he resorted to wiring up the electricity," he said.

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