A West Norfolk criminal with “expensive” taste pinched £40 whiskey during an anger-fuelled shoplifting session.
Carl Pritchard, of Queen Mary Road in Gaywood, appeared at Lynn Magistrates’ Court on Thursday after stealing a goods to the value of £52.50 from Tesco in Fakenham.
The 52-year-old pleaded guilty to the offence, which saw him loot £40 whiskey, a pair of scissors and a cafetière.
Prosecutor Libby Smith said that Pritchard – who recently moved into homeless accommodation managed by the Purfleet Trust – visited the store on July 13.
He placed the bottle into his trolley with number of other items, paid for some and left without paying for others
Police later approached Pritchard as part of an unrelated matter, and when they searched his bag, they discovered the whiskey still had its security tag on.
They questioned him on where he got it from, and although he initially claimed he found it, he later admitted that he had in fact stolen the items.
In mitigation, solicitor George Sorrell said that Pritchard was “upset and angry” as he had just gotten into a fight with his girlfriend and they had split up.
He added that the whiskey was “expensive stuff” but “there was no excuse for it whatsoever”.
Pritchard asked magistrates if there was any way that he could serve his punishment by contributing to one of Tesco’s charities.
They rejected the request.
Instead, he will have to pay back the £52.50 to the store alongside £40 in court costs.
