A BRICKLAYER stole from two shops – and then admitted to police that he had no idea why he did it.

Wayne White, 26, appeared before Kirklees magistrates yesterday.

He pleaded guilty to thefts from two stores in Huddersfield town centre within minutes of each other on January 18.

Paul Ramsay, prosecuting, said that White first went into fashion store River Island in the Kingsgate Shopping Centre.

He said: “The defendant removed security tags from two pairs of women’s jeggings.

“He pulled them off with his hands and secreted the tags in nearby jeans pockets.”

White then left the store without paying for the clothes, which were worth £70.

He placed them in a River Island bag and walked into the nearby Boots store in King Street.

White, of Eastwoods Farm in Halifax, went upstairs and then selected a pair of Nicky Clarke hair straighteners.

He walked down the escalators and out of the store, again without paying.

White was detained nearby by security staff and the hair straighteners, worth £79.99, were recovered.

He also admitted his previous theft and police were called.

Mr Ramsay said: “He couldn’t explain why he had committed the crime, he has a stable job and income.

“He said he would have given the hair straighteners to his sister.”

Magistrates heard that White had no previous convictions to his name.

He only had cautions from June 2009 for production of cannabis and from April 2011 for shop theft.

Mohammed Arif, mitigating, described his client’s actions as impulsive.

He said: “My client doesn’t know why he’s taken these items, he had no intention to steal.

“There’s no drugs or alcohol issues, he earns £260 a week in his work as a bricklayer.

“He wishes to apologise and is quite ashamed as to why he’s here.”

Magistrates ordered White to pay £130 fine, £85 costs and a £20 victim surcharge.