Prolific thief steals lifesaving emergency bleed kit in broad daylight and gets suspended jail sentence

This was the moment when a thoughtless thief opened a cabinet and stole a life-saving bleed kit in broad daylight. Ryan Horler is seen in the video (click to play above) taking the emergency kit and walking away - which has led to a suspended prison sentence.

The kits - which are housed in unlocked cabinets - can be used by non-trained members of the public to stop catastrophic bleeding before an ambulance or emergency service can arrive at the scene. They were installed following a partnership between Avon and Somerset Police, HeartSafe UK and NHS England South and available 24/7.

The stolen kit was replaced within an hour of the theft being reported.

Horler received a suspended sentence for stealing the lifesaving equipment in Bristol in August. The 42-year-old, from Bristol, was also charged with theft of a bike on 19 May - and eight counts of theft from shops between 5 July and 21 September.

Horler appeared at Bristol Magistrates Court on Wednesday 25 September, where he pleaded guilty to all 10 offences. He was sentenced at the same court on Tuesday 15 October, where he received a 16-week prison sentence, suspended for 18 months. He must also adhere to a curfew for eight weeks and pay £125 compensation.

PC Max Sims, officer in the case, said: "Bleed kits can help to save the life of someone who has been critically injured and the mindless theft of one could have had a catastrophic impact should it have been unavailable when needed in an emergency.

“CCTV footage showing the offence was identified during our investigation, enabling us to issue a public appeal to identify the suspect a few days later. We're grateful to those who assisted our enquiries, and helped us identify Ryan Horler as the offender."