Shoplifter, 28, cut tags in TK Maxx and walked out with "armfuls" of shopping
“Stay out of trouble and if you want something from TK Maxx, pay for it,” offender is told.
A shoplifter who de-tagged items in TK Maxx and tried to walk out with “armfuls” of items has been fined.
Charles Causer, 28, picked up a pair of pliers at the Telford Forge Retail Park store in Telford on September 27 this year, and took the tags off numerous products, before attempting to walk out with stock worth £355.
Telford Magistrates Court was told that security guards were watching and stopped Causer. Police were called and he was arrested.
Causer, of Church Road, Jackfield, Telford was also found to have a wrap of heroin in his possession.
“This wasn’t just a packet of boxer shorts, he tried to walk out with armfuls of shopping,” said Kate Price, prosecuting.
He pleaded guilty to theft from a shop, going equipped for theft, possession of a controlled drug of class A and failing to surrender to bail, after missing a court hearing earlier this week.
Rashid Aziz, mitigating, said that Causer is addicted to drugs but has sought help from Telford Stars, an organisation which supports addicts.
Mr Aziz added that Causer is unemployed and lives with his mum.
Dean Firmin, chair of the magistrates bench, told Causer: “Drugs do funny things to you, so you need to stay off them.
“Stay out of trouble and if you want something from TK Maxx, pay for it.”
Magistrates fined Causer £160 and ordered him to pay £85 in prosecution costs and a £64 victim surcharge, bringing his total legal bill to £309.