A HEREFORD thief who spent hundreds of pounds on a stolen payment card has been up before the magistrates.

Harry Cooper entered a guilty plea to one count of theft from the person of another when he appeared before magistrates in Kidderminster in September.

The court heard from prosecutor Owen Beale that the 32-year-old, who was represented at the hearing by defence solicitor Barry Newton, had stolen a loaded payment card belonging to Herefordshire Council between May 1, 2021, and June 1, 2021.

OTHER NEWS:

He had then used the card to purchase items worth a total of £574.64, the magistrates were told.

Cooper, of Moor Park Road, Hereford, was handed a 12-month conditional discharge for the offence, with magistrates saying that they had taken his guilty plea into account when imposing the penalty.

He was also ordered to pay compensation of £574.64, prosecution costs of £85, and a £22 victim surcharge, which is used to help fund services supporting victims of crime.