A MAN who fled with $25,000 worth of gold jewellery from a Ballarat store has been sentenced to 18 months' jail.Marc Thomas Royal entered Karington Jewellers in Sturt St the day before Mother's Day on May 9 and stole a tray displaying gold jewellery.Ballarat Magistrates Court heard the 27-year-old saw the tray from outside the jewellers while he was waiting for a taxi.Police prosecutor Leading Senior Constable Shaun Perry told the court Royal entered the jewellers where there were numerous other customers.He said while staff were busy serving them, Royal leaned over the counter, took the tray and exited the store.The court heard Royal sold the jewellery, which has not been recovered, to individuals in Melbourne's western suburbs for $3000 and spent the money on a long weekend of partying.Royal was arrested and interviewed on Thursday about the jewellery theft and another theft from Big W in Ballarat where he stole a $1000 camcorder in April.Defence lawyer Mike Wardell told the court his client was introduced to heroin after living on the streets between the ages of 15 and 25 and had become a chronic heroin addict.But he said there had been a reduction of the scope and scale of Royal's offending since a burglary and theft three years ago."He came to Ballarat from Melbourne six months ago to start afresh. The change to Ballarat has been rewarding in many ways prior to this offending," Mr Wardell said."This was a more spontaneous act rather than a thought-out plan."Royal wept in the dock as Magistrate Richard Pithouse convicted and sentenced him to jail."You said you were going to get rid of your luggage in Melbourne but you didn't. You are clean of heroin but you still go out and do this. You have reverted to your old ways," Mr Pithouse said.Royal pleaded guilty to theft, theft from a shop and obtaining property by deception.