A WARRANT has been issued for the arrest of a West Somerset pensioner after he failed to turn up in court on Wednesday (April 15) for sentencing for a series of charity box thefts over the past five years.

Carne Hewitt, aged 69, of Treborough, had pleaded guilty to four theft charges when he appeared before Taunton magistrates in February.

Hewitt admitted stealing money in Dunster Steep car park belonging to the parish council, taking money from St George’s Church, Dunster, stealing a TUI Care Foundation charity box in Tiverton, and an RNLI donations box in Beer, Devon.

The Dunster offences happened between August, 2024, and January this year, while Tiverton’s was in 2023, and Beer in 2021.

The sums of money involved were not known.