A FORMER chef who claimed to have a Michelin star stole bottles of Champagne after he struggled to survive, a court heard.

Pastry chef Roland Benson was under the influence of Class A drugs when he swiped the pricey drink from a supermarket.

Magistrates were told that the Birkby man had found life difficult after being made redundant from his job.

Linda Fowler, prosecuting, said Benson entered Sainsbury’s at Southgate on November 10.

He selected three bottles of Bollinger Champagne, worth £96, and placed them in his Sainsbury’s carrier bag.

The 33-year-old was stopped by security staff and escorted back to the store.

The bottles were recovered and police were called.

Benson, of Birkby Hall Road, said that he would have sold the booze to pay for food and electricity.

He was quizzed over foil found in his bag, which can be used to evade store detectors.

But he claimed that he had used the foil for his sandwiches.

Police station drugs tests showed he had both cocaine and opiates in his system at the time of his arrest.

Magistrates were told that Benson was last in court on November 6 – just three days before the offence.

He was given a community order after stealing a bottle of Gordon’s Gin from the Co-op in Marsh.

Benson, who has a degree in catering, was also in court in May having stolen two drills from B&Q at Leeds Road Retail Park.

Zahid Majeed, mitigating, said his client had previously enjoyed a comfortable life.

However since being made redundant from his job last year, things had spiralled out of control for Benson.

Mr Majeed said: “The bottles wouldn’t have been used for consumption; his life at the moment is not worth celebrating.

“He’s been very depressed and his was an act of desperation in stealing from the store. His flat is in arrears and without electricity and heating – he’s finding it difficult to cope.”

Benson claimed he took the drugs to help deal with his depression and not because he was addicted.

He told the bench: “I have to get away from my flat because it’s cold and I’m surrounding myself with drug users.

“I’m a Michelin-starred pastry chef, I do not have a drugs problem. I’m not sleeping at the moment because of the environment I’m in.

“This was an act of desperation, an act of stupidity.”

Magistrates revoked Benson’s existing community order and replaced it with a new order for 12 months. The bench also ordered Benson to pay £85 costs and £60 victim surcharge.

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