Man admits ‘moment of madness’ theft from King’s Lynn shop

A “moment of madness” landed a Lynn man in court for shoplifting.

Town magistrates were told on Thursday that Stefan Auker took two sets of headphones from a counter near the till in Lidl in Austin Street.

He then went to the chilled foods area and put the items in a freezer bag.

He tried to leave the store after paying for some groceries, but not the sets of headphones worth £24.95 each.

Auker also had earphones and walkie talkies for which he couldn’t produce a receipt.

Following his arrest, the 49-year-old said he had no money and he’d taken the items worth £104.96 to sell to pay for food. He pleaded guilty to theft on June 11, 2021.

Alison Muir, mitigating, said: “Mr Auker describes this as a moment of madness.”

She added that he had spent most of his adult life dependant on benefits but his mental health had taken an upturn recently and he was due to start a job shortly.

She said: “Life is looking a lot rosier. If only he could have waited to hear he had got this job, he would’ve resisted the temptation to steal.

“It’s embarrassing for him, he’s never stolen before.”

Auker, of Guanock Place, was given a 12-month conditional discharge and ordered to pay £145 costs plus a £22 victim surcharge.

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