Suspended sentence for stealing meat

Bruno Garcia, whose address was given as Corcrain Drive, Portadown, pleaded guilty at a previous court to two charges.

He admitted the theft of meat valued at £69.93 from P and G Foods, Portadown, on February 17 last year.

And a further charge of stealing meat worth £59.94 from the same store on February 25.

The court heard he put the items in a shopping bag and then left the store without making any attempt to pay for them.

The case had been adjourned in order to obtain a pre-sentence report.

Defence barrister Aaron Thompson said his client, who had difficulties with addiction, had twice missed appointments with probation and the last time he had to go to hospital.

He was in breach of a suspended sentence.

He added that if the court could not give a further suspended sentence he urged that a crushing sentence should not be imposed on the defendant.

District Judge Steven Keown said he could give him 16 months without batting an eyelid.

He said the defendant had been given the chance to go to probation but had put two fingers up at the court.

But, he added, against his better judgement he would deal with the matter with suspended sentences.

On each of the two charges he sentenced Garcia to eight months in prison which he suspended for two years.

He also ordered Garcia to pay £129.87 compensation for the items.

“You are running out of road big time,” Judge Keown told the defendant.