ONE of the most convicted men in the country has avoided a jail sentence — for his 502nd crime.

Prolific shoplifter Harry Hankinson has been given a four month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months.

The 64-year-old started his life of crime in 1970 after he fell and suffered a brain injury, which his defence solicitor told Bolton Magistrates’ Court “completely changed his personality”.

During his latest theft spree Hankinson stole £203 of clothes from Beales in Bolton town centre, £295 of perfume from Boots, toiletries worth £350 from Debenhams, and £8 of chocolate from Pound Empire in Manchester.

He also walked into a branch of the Body Shop in Blackburn town centre and asked staff if the shop sold any expensive perfume.

The assistant pointed out their most expensive products and Hankinson went on to steal them.

Hankinson, of Kingsley Street, Halliwell, who had pleaded guilty to five counts of shoplifting at an earlier hearing, told chairman of the magistrates’ bench, Nat Ayisi-Biney that he was “ashamed of myself”.

He already more than 400 convictions for theft, mainly shoplifting, seven offences of violence, four sexual offences, two against property, 28 relating to police courts and prison, three drug offences and 35 miscellaneous crimes.

Stephen Teasdale, defending, told Bolton Magistrates’ Court was told that Hankinson fell off a window ledge when he was at a family function in 1970 and suffered a brain injury.

He told the court: “That made a change to his personality. That has caused a compulsive behaviour to shoplifting.

“It is difficult to fit Harry Hankinson in to any guidelines. He would be regarded as stealing low value goods.

“There is no planning, he gets caught. There is no sophistication about this. He goes in, picks up a few items and then walks out.

“It is the persistence that makes his position far worse.”

The court heard that Hankinson has a number of health problems, and that he was assaulted in prison because he is weak and vulnerable.

Mr Teasdale added: “It is a psychological problem. His sister does his shopping. He does not want to go to shops and be around temptation.”

Mr Ayisi-Biney said when imposing the suspended sentence and curfew: “It is up to you now because we want to help you to come out of that.”

In 2012, the most convicted offender in England and Wales had been convicted of 567 crimes, with a criminal with 399 offences on his record in second place.