A THIEF who stole a coat from an independent shop in Hereford has been spared jail time despite magistrates saying he had a “flagrant disregard for people and their property”.
Carl Gwynne walked free at Kidderminster Magistrates’ Court on August 7 despite twice stealing hundreds of pounds worth of goods from shops in Hereford.
The 44-year-old, of Red Norman Rose, Hereford, had admitted two counts of theft from a shop. He had taken a £115 Barbour coat from Hereford family-run shop Philip Morris and Sons on May 29, and £125.19 worth of packaged meats from a Tesco shop in Hereford on August 6.
Magistrates handed him a prison sentence of eight weeks, but suspended it for one year. This means that unless he were to commit another offence in this time, he will not serve prison time.
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He must however pay compensation of £50 to each of the shops he stole from.
Magistrates said: “The offences are so serious that only a custodial sentence can be justified. The defendant has a flagrant disregard for people and their property, and a flagrant disregard for court orders.”
Gwynne was not ordered to pay any court costs to allow compensation to take priority.
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