Man jailed for 20 years for stealing 10 cartons of cigarettes in Florida

Robert Spellman was arrested shortly after last Christmas

A man who stole $600 (£450) worth of cigarettes from a shop in Florida has been sentenced on to 20 years in state prison.

Robert Spellman took 10 cartons of cigarettes from a locked manager's office in a stock room three days after Christmas last year.

He was found with the cigarettes, shortly afterwards and matched the description of the suspect.

A jury found the 48-year-old guilty of burglary and grand theft over the incident, the Penascola News Journal reported.

Mr Spellman has 14 prior felony and 31 misdemeanour convictions, which qualified him as a habitual felony offender, meaning a judge in Florida's Escambia County could impose the harsh sentence.

Social media users and celebrities including former tennis star Martina Navratilova were quick to criticise the lengthy term.

"Just such a disproportionate sentence," she wrote on Twitter. "Who are these cruel judges?"

Others suggested his incarceration could cost the taxpayer up to $800,000 (£608,000).

Imprisonment in the US is a controversial topic as the country has the highest rate of incarceration in the world. according to the World Prison Brief, produced by Birkbeck, University of London.