A Co-op shoplifter who was hit with a massive court fine for shoplifting a bottle of wine joked that it was his "most expensive bottle ever".
Paul Smart pleaded guilty to theft from a shop at the Isle of Wight Magistrates’ Court on January 2.
Smart was handed with the fine after he stole a £4 bottle of wine from Co-op at the Esso petrol station on Avenue Road in Sandown on October 25, 2023.
Liz Miller, prosecuting, told the court the 37-year-old was one of three people identified by police after being captured on CCTV.
Paul Smart pleaded guilty to theft from a shop at the Isle of Wight Magistrates’ Court
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Michael McGoldrick, defending, admitted his client had a ‘pretty appalling record, historically."
However, his last matter in court was committed in March 2023, some time before.
McGoldrick said Smart, who has voluntarily signed up for a drug rehabilitation programme with Inclusion.
He added that Smart had run out of money and wanted some alcohol.
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The Co-op at the Esso petrol station on Avenue Road in Sandown
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Magistrates described the offence as ‘a bit silly,’ handing Smart a £80 fine.
He must also pay £85 in costs, a £32 surcharge and £4 compensation to Co-op.
His total fine came out to £201.
Smart told Magistrates: "That is the most expensive bottle of wine I’ve ever had."
It was reported in October a Crime Survey for England and Wales, which polls members of the public, suggested theft dropped by 20 per cent below pre-pandemic levels.
Police-recorded incidents of burglary were down 29 per cent on the number recorded in the year to March 2020.
In the year to June 2023, 2.10 million offences were recorded in total in the year to June.
This is compared with 2.12 million in the previous 12 months.