A man on a court order for dishonesty offences stole two bottles of spirits from a shop to celebrate New Year’s Eve.
Konrad Wloch (30), of South Parade, Spalding, was sentenced to unpaid work orders for burglary and two shop thefts last year, but still decided to bring in 2013 with stolen booze.
Marie Stace, prosecuting, told Spalding magistrates that Wloch went into Spalding’s branch of Aldi at 4.15pm on December 31, picked up two bottles of spirits and made no attempt to go to the tills.
He left through the entrance door, which was activated by a man who was waiting outside for him.
Staff stopped Wloch and brought him back into the store and recovered both bottles.
Police were called and Wloch told officers his friend had an idea about how they could continue drinking.
Miss Stace said: “He fully admitted his actions were dishonest.”
Solicitor Daven Naghen, mitigating, said: “It was New Year’s Eve, they had already been drinking and they had run out of alcohol.
“They decided to steal some to carry out some celebrations.”
Magistrates fined Wloch £65 and ordered him to pay £85 costs and a £20 victim surcharge.
He pleaded guilty to theft of two bottles of alcohol, worth a total of £18.98.
Probation officer Chris Payne said Wloch had 149 hours unpaid work remaining on his order.
He was sentenced to 170 hours for a non-domestic burglary in July last year and given a further 40 hours for two offences of shoplifting.