A heroin addict raided £40 worth of meat from Spalding’s branch of Aldi to sell to buy drugs.
Magistrates heard Christopher Wilcock has a job but didn’t have enough money to fund his habit on the day he stole from the supermarket.
Rebecca Ritson, prosecuting, said a member of staff who knew Wilcock saw him in the store on March 12 with a sports type, holdall bag.
As he left, the bag looked “bulkier and heavier”.
Miss Ritson said Wilcock ran out of the entrance but was challenged by a member of staff and the meat was found in his bag.
There was no claim for compensation as the meat was recovered.
Solicitor Carrie Simson, mitigating, said Wilcock earns about £200 a week.
She said: “He stole this to sell because he couldn’t fund his drug habit on that particular day.”
He is awaiting an appointment with Addaction for help.
Mrs Simson urged the court to give Wilcock a conditional discharge rather than a fine because leaving him short of cash might set him up to fail until he has a methadone prescription.
Wilcock, of Marlborough Avenue, Spalding, was conditionally discharged for a year when he admitted theft. He must pay £85 costs and a £15 victim surcharge.