A Ventnor bricklayer has pleaded guilty to stealing a total of £28.45 worth of goods from the Co-op in Ventnor, including 2 bacon rolls, a pack of apples and a carrier bag.
Michael Barnes, 36, of Newport Road, told the Isle of Wight Magistrates Court earlier this week (Tuesday) that he was embarrassed by the situation, as he had been visiting that shop to get his lunch every day for a month.
Barnes, who first stole 2 bacon rolls at the price of £7 on 29th July 2025, and then 3 Costa Coffees, 3 protein shakes, bananas, a pack of apple and a carrier bag on 14th August 2025, said he genuinely forgot to pay.
Oscar Vincent, defending, told the court that his client was given a business bank card to buy himself and other staff lunch, and therefore the notion of him stealing the food doesn’t make sense.
In addition to this, Mr Vincent made the Magistrates aware that when Barnes found out about his mistakes, he returned to the shop to apologise and tried to reimburse the shop to set the record straight.
Barnes was handed a £169.48 fine, which must be paid in the next 28 days.
That’s a good one, bet he’s bricking it now.
I bet he doesn’t forget his pay day though
What? Genuine mistake and he has to pay more than most of the low life that do it all the time? Also the embarrassment for him. The justice system is sooo broken?
Strange how they usually just make the thief pay back the value of items that was stolen, it’s a clear trend on the island, however in this case the guy clearly made a mistake even going back to the shop to correct it… yet they still fine him £170 when the value of items was £28… seems pretty ridiculous. The courts seem to come down hard on honest people and lenient on repeat offenders! This is why nonces like Samuel Huckle walk free
Fines are geared to the ability of the offender to pay. Someone on benefits that is convicted of an offence is at the bottom of the list when it comes to ‘ability to pay’. A bricky on £200 a day will have no problem paying £170. That’s how it works.
People on benefits have nothing to lose,
they use benefit money to pay fines, so they
themselves are not really paying a fine!
So , his defence said he had a business bank card and therefore it didn’t make sense that he stole the items?
Hmm , he did
The point made was the fact he had a business card to pay for everything therefore it wouldn’t even be coming out of his own pocket, then why would he steal it. Come of Kathy use your brain.
I bet he didn’t forget to send his boss/customers a bill.
The crime here is the shop selling 2 bacon rolls for £7
Talk about mark up on 50p worth of products
Why not
So a seemingly genuine mistake get a heavy find that known repeat offenders. Bricklayers are mostly payers