A DEPRESSED man appeared in court charged with stealing gift sets worth £148 from Boots the chemist in what was described as “a moment of madness.”
Lee Daniel Ryan, 35, of Cowlersley Lane, Cowlersley, was also in breach of a conditional discharge at the time of the offence, which took place in King Street on December 14.
Ryan pleaded guilty to both charges at Kirklees Magistrates’ Court yesterday.
Abdul Shakoor, prosecuting, said the theft occurred at 4.50pm and Ryan’s entire 25-minute performance was captured on CCTV.
He had been observed removing security tags from items.
After leaving the store he realised security were following him and tried to run away.
Mr Shakoor said: “He had £115 on him which he said was to last him for two weeks. In interview he said he had withdrawn the money from his bank account.”
The court heard he had 23 previous convictions for 36 offences.
Mitigating, Sonia Kidd, said he suffered from mental health problems and had taken Class A drugs.
He had struggled to obtain accommodation and then having found some, found it “incredibly difficult” to afford the cost of heating.
She said: “He had not intended to shoplift. He knows it was wrong. He suffers from depression and has serious mental health problems. It was a moment of madness.”
Ryan was bailed for sentence on January 25 and told by chairman of the bench, Presley Douglas, to comply with a drug intervention programme.
