A grieving man turned to theft to buy drugs after finding his partner dead in bed next to him.

Dean Collins’ mental and physical health spiralled downwards following his heartbreaking discovery last October.

He appeared in court after stealing packets of meat from the Co-op, easy items for thieves to off-load to purchase drugs, Kirklees magistrates were told.

Collins, of Greenwood Street in Primrose Hill, pleaded guilty to theft when he appeared at the Huddersfield court.

Alex Bozman, prosecuting, explained that he entered the Crosland Moor shop shortly before 3pm on January 26.

He headed to the freezer section and removing three rump steaks, three packets of back bacon and two pork joints.

The 39-year-old then left the Moorfield Shopping Centre store without paying for them.

He was arrested after staff noticed a gap in the shelving and admitted to police that he’d sold the meat, worth £67.50, on January 26.

Collins’ guilty plea put him in breach of a conditional discharge, given to him last November for offences of being drunk and disorderly and theft.

He was also subject to a community order including drug rehabilitation which was imposed for two shop thefts.

Jonathan Slawinski, mitigating, explained that his client had a long-standing drug addition.

He said: “Sadly in October last year his long-term partner, who drank, died and the circumstances of that were extremely traumatic for Mr Collins because he woke up next to her in bed deceased.

“That triggered a decline in his mental and physical state, having experienced in terrible circumstances the loss of his partner.

“And that led to him going in and out of drugs and drink. The items taken are standard things for somebody with a drug problem to steal.

“He was clearly in a very bad way at the time and, to an extent, still is.”

Magistrates heard that Collins is complying well with his community order and has managed to deal with his drug misuse problem.

They revoked his community order and re-sentenced him to a new order including up to 15 days of rehabilitation activities.

Collins will have to pay £67.50 compensation to the store he stole from.