Heroin addict stole to pay off his drug debt
A HEROIN abuser who stole meat to pay off his drug debts told magistrates: “I don’t want to die.”
Carl Day swiped the joints worth £59 from Aldi at the Gallagher Retail Park in Waterloo.
The 34-year-old, recently hospitalised after suffering a life-threatening aneurysm caused by his addiction, said he owed money to a dealer.
He pleaded guilty to theft when he appeared at Kirklees Magistrates’ Court.
Alex Bozman, prosecuting, said that the theft at the Wakefield Road store happened at 10.30am on July 24 last year.
Day left the store with the stolen joints of meat but was stopped by a police officer who recognised him an hour later.
When the officer asked him if he had a receipt for the goods in his bag, Day replied: “No, I don’t. I’ve stolen them from Aldi.”
Carl Kingsley, mitigating, explained that Day had been a heroin addict for many years and been offered all kinds of court disposals for his offending from prison to drug rehabilitation.
He said: “His problem is returning back to the area with all the old friends and drug addicts.
“He finds himself back on the merrygo-round he’s been on for many years.
“Being a drug addict over many years he’s accumulated various levels of debt and he’s been told to pay that debt or there will be consequences.
“The way he chose to pay off that debt was to steal the items for money.”
Magistrates at the court in Huddersfield were told that Day, of Church Street in Paddock, was recently hospitalised after suffering a burst aneurysm.
This was caused by his years of intravenous drug use and could have killed him, Mr Kingsley said.
He told magistrates: “He doesn’t want to die but knows that if he continues on he may well do.
“If his admission to hospital concentrates his mind that’s good for the local community in Huddersfield and for him.”
Magistrates sentenced Day to a 12-month community order with 10 rehabilitation activity days aimed at addressing his offending behaviour.
He must pay £85 court costs and £85 victim surcharge.
Day promised magistrates: “It has opened my eyes a bit – I don’t want to die.”