A Newport man with a dependency on alcohol has been ordered to pay compensation after admitting a duo of shoplifting offences.
Thomas Cornell, 40, of Whitcombe Road in Newport, admitted a pair of theft offences when he appeared at the Isle of Wight Magistrates Court earlier this week (Friday).
Prosecuting, Nola Bond, told the court that on the 30th August, Cornell entered Co-op in Shanklin and stole 2 crates of Stella Artois.
Then, a day later, he entered the store again and stole another 2 crates of Stella Artois.
The court heard how on the first occasion the goods weren’t recovered. On the 2nd occasion they were recovered by security staff.
Defending Cornell, Oscar Vincent, told the court that Cornell was recognised on CCTV and that at the time of the offence he had just relapsed into alcohol use.
Magistrates fined Cornell £120 and ordered he pay £85 costs, £22 compensation and a £48 surcharge fee.
He must have a massive dependency if he is drinking two crates of Stella a day. Might he be selling some of it? Alcoholism is an illness and I sympathise with anyone with an addiction but it is not a defence to theft.
He wouldn’t give a xxxx for anything else.
I thought Stella Artois was a French prostitute.