A man who had just 58p in his pocket stole over £40 of meat from a shop in East Cowes because he was hungry, Magistrates heard on Friday.
37-year-old James Smith appeared before the Isle of Wight Magistrates Court charged with theft from a shop – namely £44.20 of meat from the Co-Operative in East Cowes.
Liz Miller, prosecuting, told the court that Smith had walked into the store and left with no attempt to pay. Police were alerted and later recovered the meat, but it was simply too late to re-stock it on the shelves.
Oscar Vincent, defending, explained to the Magistrates that his client was homeless at the time of the offence on 4th June and was hungry having not eaten in days. He had just 58p in his pocket.
Magistrates revoked 2 previous orders and issued a new 12-month community order with a drug rehabilitation requirement for 6 months with 20 rehabilitation days attached.
Homeless but had access to a cooker to eat the raw meat? Or sell it on for sum drugs, surely if starving you would nick a pasty or tin of beans? Oh wait he had enough to pay for those low items
exactly – he could have bought a banana and an orange for less than 58p – the guy is clearly stealing food as he done all his dole money on drugs – bet he had baccy and rizla in his pocket though
He has no money but a druggie, How does he pay for drugs or are they giving the stuff away now.
Back in the day I worked security at a large supermarket and was always amazed at the excuses given. I caught many many shoplifters who knew the law, knew they would probably get away with it as long as they didn’t resist or run and took something that matched their ‘issues’, booze for alcoholics, tins of food, sandwiches and snacks for the homeless, but those who just took to sell on were always prosecuted, and rightly so. The courts should see what we all see, that if they can afford drugs, then they cannot claim being skint!
Narrow minded moron
You can find him drinking special brew on Sandown seafront most mornings,
Well, aren’t you a right inspecter cluso, hiding behind your key board, It’s still a free country you know,live and let live, the bloke has big issues in which he is trying to sort out,let him be,or better still,pop over for a chat when your next down there,we don’t bite! (Lol) x
A friend of mine nearly starved in London back in the day. He never stole anything because he was just not that sort of person. And not a druggie or drunk either. If this idiot here really was desperately hungry and felt he ‘had’ to steal, then why not something ready to eat, like a pie or pasty or bread roll? The excuses from these lowlife cretins and the people who defend them is a reflection of just one of the things that is wrong with Britain today.