A LANDSCAPE gardener stole from a nursery in order to fuel his "out-of-control" drug habit, a court heard.

Darren Smith carried out a nine-month long "crime spree" leaving businesses, locals and Macpennys Nursery, in Christchurch "aggrieved" and thousands worse off.

Across 16 charges, all of which Smith pleaded guilty to at Southampton Magistrates' Court, the 20-year-old stole champagne from Co-op, fuel belonging to Ower Services, in Romsey Road, and Ringwood Service Station as well as scrap metal from R.F Salvidge Farms Recycling, in Timsbury.

His offending began in November 2016, when Smith trespassed in Guys Farm, Green Lane, intending to steal.

Over the next eight-months, the court heard he had been caught committing a range of crimes, including theft from cars and driving without insurance.

On December 27, along with a group of males, he attempted to steal power tools from Bennetts Lane, in Burley.

Ryan Seneviratne, prosecuting, said the victim had "left his car outside his house for approximately 15-minutes" and when he returned he saw the males who "walked off, dropping the power tools".

The court heard Smith, of Cunningham Gardens, Bursledon, then used threatening language to the victim's wife and then left the scene.

Mr Seneviratne told the court: "As you can this was a crime spree which continued over many months.

"The impact on the victims was big."

Whilst on bail, Smith then took his father's car from his house in Cunningham Gardens, Southampton and stole wood from Macpennys Nursery on July 11.

He pleaded guilty to all offences on July 19.

Stephen Tricker, mitigating, said his client had displayed "honesty" in pleading guilty to "quite a catalogue of crimes".

He said: "The crimes he committed are underpinned by a drug problem, significantly with crack cocaine.

"These offences were committed to fund his habit which was spiralling out of control."

Smith was sentenced to 46 weeks imprisonment and when released will be disqualified from driving for eight-months.