‘Stay out of trouble or go to prison!’ Stark warning for serial Spalding shoplifter who stole £480-worth of goods to feed drug habit
A serial shoplifter who stole meat to fund his drug habit will be jailed if he offends again.
Andrew Bullivant received the stark warning when he appeared before Judge Daniel Church on Wednesday (May 14).
He was also ordered to pay out hundreds of pounds in compensation to six Spalding-area stores after committing 10 separate thefts in a three-month period - taking goods worth more than £480 in total.
Boston Magistrates’ Court was told the 34-year-old resorted to stealing after being thrown out of the family home by his mother.
A probation report said this led him to stay with friends in Crowland, which left him unable to get into Spalding to collect his daily methadone prescription.
Unable to access his substitute, he returned to heroin use.
“He was stealing to fund his drug use and to pay his friends who allowed him to stay there,” the report explained.
Prosecutor Kerry Close listed the offences.
Bullivant, of no fixed abode, admitted taking steak and Gaviscon worth £50.65 on January 29 and steak valued at £38.50 on February 2, both from the town’s Sainbury’s supermarket, as well chocolates and biscuits worth £85.50 from the Co-Op on February 16.
The defendant also stole lamb and beef joints costing £60.45 from Aldi on March 7, haddock and lamb worth £97.08 from Aldi on March 10, 10 blocks of cheese valued at £50 from Iceland on March 20 and half legs of lamb priced at £60 from Lidl on April 2.
He also took coffee valued at £40 from the Spar shop in Pinchbeck on may 4, meat products with an unknown value from the Winsover Road Spar on May 5, and chocolate and biscuits - which were recovered - from WH Smith on May 5.
The court was told that Bullivant was already serving a lifetime ban from Aldi before the offences and, in police interview, he admitted stealing the products in an attempt to sell on to make money.
The probation report added the defendant suffered from PTSD, anxiety, depression, ADHD and epilepsy, which made him unfit for work.
Defending Bullivant, Phillipa Chatterton described the offences as ‘unsophisticated in nature’ adding Bullivant was ‘known in the area and easily identified’.
Judge Daniel Church sentenced Bullivant to 12 weeks in prison for each offence to run concurrently, suspended for 12 months.
He must also carry out 10 rehabilitation days and a six month drug rehabilitation requirement as part of a 12-month community order, and pay back each of the six stores £50 each in compensation.
“Stay out of trouble, if not you’ll be going to prison,” Judge Church said.
