Handbag thief Colin Wallace 20, went straight to a bank when he netted thousands of Italian lira, Sarah Leigh, prosecuting, told Basildon Crown Court.
Sneaky Wallace had stolen the money from a woman's bag in the BP garage at Radford Way, Billericay, she said.
He was cashing in the lira just as police were called in to mount a search of the area with his description and officers spotted him coming out the bank where he had changed the Italian currency for a mere £6.
The 20-year-old cocaine addict pleaded guilty to stealing two other handbags from shops and said he stole to feed his drugs habit.
Judge Michael Yelton sent Wallace, of Groveway Road, Dagenham, to a young offenders' institution for 18 months.
Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article