Jail for homeless man who stole booze in Retford

A homeless man who swiped two bottles of cognac from Morrisons in Retford in a bid to feed his drug habit has been jailed.
News from the courtsNews from the courts
News from the courts

Alex Kinsey was watched by staff as he walked straight through the self-service checkout with the booze, worth £69, just after 3pm on May 12.

He told police he was struggling to eat and needed to feed a drug habit, said prosecutor Lee Shepherd.

Kinsey, 30, who is currently staying with a friend at Gomersall Close, Retford, admitted the theft and breaching the terms of both a suspended sentence and post-sentence supervision, when he appeared at Mansfield Magistrates Court, on Thursday.

He was released from prison on April 18, the court heard, but only made it to two probation meetings, because he couldn’t afford the bus fare.

He was back before the courts on April 27 for theft, for which he was given 28 days, suspended for 12 months.

Donna Pursglove, mitgating, said his offending started in 2015, and he was now trying to tackle “quite a significant drug problem.”

He was given a total of 35 days in prison, because of “his poor record and his failure to comply with the probation service”, and must pay a £115 victim surcharge.

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