An Autistic thief, obsessed with stealing strangers’ personal effects, dodged prison with a suspended sentence yesterday (Friday) for his countrywide crime spree.
Van Elvin Courchene, 31, of North Road, Stoke-on-Trent enters colleges, and hostels in his hunt for simple items, which he feels gives him his only connection with other people.
He pleaded guilty at London’s Blackfriars Crown Court to possessing two false identity documents, namely two U.K. driver’s licences, at St. Christopher’s Village hostel, Borough High Street, Southwark on May 9.
Prosecutor Miss Abigail White told the court staff became suspicious after catching Courchene searching through the hostel’s luggage room.
He insisted he was simply looking for his own bag and when it was checked by staff they found the two licences and called the police.
Officers at Peckham Police Station quizzed Courchene (pictured).
“He said he had a habit of collecting things,” added Miss White.
Courchene is currently under the supervision of North Staffordshire Probation Service after being sentenced to supervision orders for similar crimes.
He has been diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome - a form of Autism
He received a three-year order at Oxford Crown Court for burgling student accommodation at a local college, helping himself to identity cards, concert tickets and foreign currency.
More recently he received a one-year order after being caught rifling through the luggage room at Baden-Powell House hostel, Kensington, West London.
Courchene was also recently sentenced at Cambridge Magistrates’ Court to three months imprisonment for theft.
“He has a sense of resentment. He is intelligent, but stymied and throughout his education was bullied and shunned and cannot bear that,” said Courchene’s lawyer Mr. Nicholas Cooper.
“It seems people believe he is stupid, but he is not stupid and feels bitterly disappointed,” added the lawyer. “He has a feeling of huge annoyance at suffering such inequality.
“He struggles to understand very basic principles and his conduct puts him on the outside and somehow contact with others can only be achieved this way.
“Behind all this is a bright young man who plainly has potential,” explained Mr. Cooper. “He is thinking about this all the time and is trying to control his impulses.”
Judge John Hillen announced: “There are those with the same syndrome who do not commit crime.
“It passes the custody threshold and he is in breach of two community orders. I could impose a lengthy further period of imprisonment.”
Courchene was sentenced to six months imprisonment, suspended for eighteen months, and was placed under an eighteen month supervision order.
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