A Ryde man admitted he was in ‘self-destruct mode’ when he stole nearly £300 worth of jumpers from TK Maxx in Newport last month, a court has heard.
Aaron Rooke, 43, of Green Street in Ryde admitted theft from a shop when he appeared at the Isle of Wight Magistrates Court on Friday last week (19th May).
Liz Miller, prosecuting, told the court that at 17:10 on 17th April this year, Rooke walked into the TK Maxx store in Newport and headed straight away for the men’s jumper and jacket section.
It was here where Rooke removed a total of 6 jumpers – all around £49.99 each – and put them over his arm.
The 43-year-old then made for the exit door on the Pyle Street side of the store without making any attempt to pay for the goods he had picked up – which totalled around £300.
The incident was reviewed on CCTV where officers were able to positively identify Rooke.
In September 2022 Rooke was handed a suspended sentence order for a total of 12 months following a similar incident. As recently as February the order was increased by 6 months to a total of 18 months.
Defending Rooke, Amy Hosell said that her client was beginning to sort his life out having been a heroin addict for a significant time and that at the time of the incident, he was in ‘self-destruct mode’.
Magistrates handed Rooke a fine of £80 and ordered him to pay costs of £20.
Did he keep the jumpers? £80 fine, £20 costs for 6 jumpers valued at £50 each, lol. Quids in!!
So his fine and court costs were worth two jumpers. That’s 21st century UK justice for ya!
£50 for a jumper, wow.
They’re a lot cheaper than that in Oxfam.
In September 2022 Rooke was handed a suspended sentence order for a total of 12 months following a similar incident
Amy Hosell said that her client was beginning to sort his life out having been a heroin addict for a significant time and that at the time of the incident, he was in ‘self-destruct mode’
…
No Amy, your client isn’t sorting his life out – he is just rolling out the excuse to minimise any sanction on his junkie life by the courts.
at 43 years of age, he is unlikely to be quitting the junkie life any time soon
Magistrates handed Rooke a fine of £80 and ordered him to pay costs of £20.
and how does he pay that – from state handouts, deducted before he gets it – which means he doesn’t actually pay anything, as he doesn’t earn any money.
it would be a better punishment to lock him in a room and make him go cold turkey
“Self destruct mode” makes you hanker for wooly sweaters. Who knew.
Perhaps he was going through ‘cold’ turkey
I would have ordered him to wear all the jumpers at the same time, right through summer, toerag.