A man who stole seven bottles of vodka from Tescos in Ipswich told a court he took them to give to the Salvation Army.
Barry Stammers, 55, of Hawke Road, Ipswich, pleaded guilty at South East Magistrates’ Court on Monday, April 24 to stealing the vodka, electrical accessories, medication, gum and a towel to value of £335.99 from Tesco in Copdock on April 6.
Colette Harper, prosecuting, said the store’s off-duty security manager visited the store and noticed the CCTV console was not manned. She looked down the alcohol aisle and spotted some bottles were missing and tracked down Stammers who was placing the bottles in his bag.
Defending himself in court, Stammers said he took the bottles to give to people at the Salvation Army as he knew ‘they like a drink’.
Presiding magistrate Robert Saunders said: “So it was theft for charity was it?”
Stammers was fined £80, and made to pay costs of £45.
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