A 27-year-old man who stole Red Bull, coffee and steaks from a Sandown supermarket so he and his pregnant partner could ‘survive’ has been handed a conditional discharge. William Morriss, of West Street in Ryde, pleaded guilty to 2 counts of theft from a shop when he appeared from the cells at the Isle of Wight Magistrates Court on Friday (26th July). The court heard from Crown Prosecutor Liz Miller that on 14th May this year, Morriss entered the Co-Op on High Street, Sandown and stole £81.80 of goods. He did so by selecting a number of items before looking towards the till and then running out of the door, making no attempt to pay. He got away with coffee and Red Bull, among other items. Just 2 days later, on 16th May, Morris’ partner entered the same store and filled a basket with items such as steaks and lamb kebabs. She placed the basket by the door and left the store. Moments later, William Morriss entered the Co-Op, and spent a short time looking around before then grabbing the basket and running out of the door, again making no attempt to pay. The value of the items stolen on this occasion was £34.90 Morriss appeared in court from custody, despite having no previous convictions, having been apprehended on a warrant after failing to show for a hearing on 7th July. Oscar Vincent, defending, explained to the court that at the time of the offence, Morriss’ girlfriend was expecting twins but they were homeless and had no money. Mr Vincent said that his client, of previous good character with no previous convictions, stole basic food stuff and groceries ‘to survive’. Magistrates, who said that Morriss had committed a “stupid act out of desperation at the time”, handed the 27-year-old a 12-month conditional discharge and ordered him to pay £116.70 compensation.
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Maybe get a job and a home before breeding you pair of low life’s feel sorry for the children
No need to feel too sorry Kev, for the children will grow up the same, just as their parents did and likely their parents.
Since being paid to have children and gain a free house and council tax, it is mainly the low life having children.
So the flawed plan to boost our population by paying people to breed has failed as they end up breeding from puberty onwards but NONE of them work and if any do it’s only for 16 hours a week to STILL claim maximum benefits.
Yet this piece of dual clone breeding filth gets full help with bills and NOW Labour are going to cut the Winter fuel £300 to pensioners , yet these dregs will still get it.
You had your chance to vote Reform but wasted it, now live with Labour taking from those who work to pay those vile, lazy, thick, useless and criminal minded along with new boat loads of takers ever single day.
Did YOU think the rich were going to fund such? Just pensioners who were to naive to see what Labour are STILL like
I agree with EVERYTHING you have written. I despair for this country, I really do. School kids will KNOW that they don’t have to work hard to enable them to get a decent job. They can simply go onto benefits and claim EVERYTHING including a full state pension and winter fuel payments. This has the knock-on effect of them not working in school and disrupting the class in school for those that want to work. With Education Minister wanting to abolish suspensions, things will get even worse.
Morriss’ girlfriend was expecting twins but they were homeless and had no money. Mr Vincent said that his client, of previous good character with no previous convictions, stole basic food stuff and groceries ‘to survive’.
..
utter garbage – the amount of benefits paid to expectant mothers is significant, they also won’t be “homeless” as the state always finds accomodation for any woman that is pregnant.
what did they do with their universal credit – spend it on booze
and you don’t need red bull and coffee, steak and lamb kebab. If you are really desperate for food, then a pregnant woman would be referred to a food bank.
these are a couple of lying chancers and probably, any money on it, they smoke weed.
You live in cloud cuckoo land. Open your eyes and have a look what is happening. Also, how would cutting all benefits stop people stealing???? If you ran the country it would be utter chaos.
no it wouldn’t – cutting benefits is the right way – it encourages self reliance instead of sitting at home, doing nothing, except sponging. The more people sponging on benefits, the less there are in work, which means less goods and services. Less availability of workers, means higher salaries need to be paid to attract staff, which means higher prices for the benefit spongers to pay – they then whinge that they cant survive on benefits. The inflationary environment continues.
you cut benefits, you cut taxes, you cut bloated government and you provide enhancements to those willing to start businesses and work.
it isn’t difficult – the bone idle end up homeless and hungry… all others benefit from their efforts.
‘Open your eyes and have a look what is happening’
I think that’s exactly what people are doing and why the vast majority are fed up with the way society is going.
But, feel free to carry on making excuses for the thieves, the benefit cheats, the people who make a lifestyle choice to live off the backs of other people’s hard work and taxes. Unfortunately, and you obviously don’t see or understand it, but defending these thieves says more about you than you probably realise.
Well said Fred but the above conversation is one womble with many aliases talking to himself and answering himself it’s an Isle of Wight trait”delusional thinking ,otherwise known as “if I keep saying the same thing over and over again somebody may listen to me”!if not I can talk to myself and still seem smart!as I sad “delusional and either the needle has broken?or is jammed in the same old groove!.
I feel for the guy, homeless, babies on the way. However steak? Why only take the expensive items? If you were that desperate go to food banks there happy to help. People donate items to help people in these situations. So there’s no need to steal items. I think the judge was very fair as he will be around to help his partner when babies are born. Hopefully he will use his brain now to be a supportive partner and GET A JOB
I think he probably thought if he was going to do it, it may as well be luxury stuff. But who knows? So many issues surround what’s gone on here it’s impossible to know where to start but for me, the sentence is woeful. No deterrent there. Magistrates should be restricted to trying David against Goliath type cases, proper judges should be dealing on societal issues like this.
If I was to go on the rob I’d at least do it properly. Why steal a bag of crips for dinner when you can have steak. At least when you get caught it’s worth it. What ever way you look at it, he’s got to pay the money back but with a belly full of steak.
Well, surely its scummier to steal more expensive items, from private small businesses anyway, tbh who cares about COOP
the staff at coop rely on the sales of the stuff to be paid their wages- more theft, means job losses and higher prices for everyone else – or is that too difficult for you to understand.
No, the company realised through some algorithm that its cheaper to skimp on a security guard, and rely on giving in to shoplifters and relying on the police. Its all calculated for big companies.
Whilst I understand the “why steal steak” argument, I suppose it is the “hung for a lamb as a sheep” thing. If you are going to get knicked you might as well do it for steak as baked beans.
I am not without sympathy for the plight of the poor but it is difficult not to be aware of the very obvious cultural change that has taken place. The only reasonnot to break the law these days seems to be the risk of getting caught. What happened to ids being brought up to be honest andlaw abiding simply because they were taught right from wrong. Call me old fashioned…
The old textbook defence story again.
So you need Red Bull, coffee and steak to survive? Really?
These articles really boil my p155.
If it was really to survive, it would have been a sandwich… how does a homeless person cook a flipping steak.
No consequences…. will offend again.
Flipping steak? Same family as the jumping bean?
If your out of work get an allotment and grow your own veg.
No need to go hungry!
Ahh but they have gone up in price so that would be classed as a luxury if your out of work!.
35 quid a year is hardly luxury
And ironically classed as work if you’re…er…’out of work’ so sanctionable possibly ?
Oh yes,…I mean they’re practically giving them away these days to all and,sundry.
If you’re hungry you don’t steal coffee/ steak/ red bull what an absolute idiot?
if anyome thinks this is ok , unbelievable , maybe should have cut his hand off , no just give the court 160 quid you cant afford , this is the sign of the times , if your poor and fighting to survive your a criminal , and all these on their high horse on here and darren toogood nasty man who literally gets off on these comments need to wake up , who is criminal people starving in a first world country or the government , bunch of idiots on here and i have no criminal convictions but ive been in dire straights and i never stole but people need to wake up , its not all about im alright jack