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A homeless man addicted to heroin and crack cocaine has been jailed after stealing more than £400 worth of goods from Wirral stores over a three-week period.
As reported by the Wirral Globe, Peter Croft, 35, who has no fixed address, appeared before Wirral Magistrates Court for shoplifting offences.
The court heard Mr Croft stole laundry products worth £282.96 from The Range on 30 July. He committed the same offence at the store again on 6 August, this time taking £132.27 worth of laundry products.
Croft also stole meat products worth £32 from Tesco on 14 August and cosmetic products of unknown value from Boots on 17 August. The total value of the goods was put at £415.
It was heard that Croft was already serving a suspended sentence for possessing a knife while in prison. He had previously been recalled once and was last released on 7 July.
Croft represented himself in court and said he was homeless and addicted to heroin and crack cocaine. On his sentence, he reportedly said, "Get it over with, get me back to jail."
He added he had been "on the run and homeless" because his probation team had been unsuccessful at finding him a new home after he lost his previous tenancy. He said he was washing himself by stealing the laundry products and feeding himself by stealing food.
He reasoned that if probation had found him a place, he "wouldn't be in this position".
Sentencing, Judge Boswell said he had to activate Croft's suspended sentence.
He said: "I accept you were unable to secure housing due to issues with probation, and I can only hope that when you are released you are in a better position to secure housing and prevent you reoffending."
Croft's 12-month suspended sentence was activated. He was also sentenced to three months for each of the four shoplifting offences, to run concurrently.
