Supermarket booze thief ends up in jail

Store CCTV captured shoplifter swiping alcohol

A brazen shoplifter who ransacked stores to feed his booze addiction has been locked up for eight months.

Drink- sodden Paul Morning, 34, targeted shops in Paisley and Johnstone to steal bottles of liquor from under the noses of security guards.

Paisley Sheriff Court heard Rowan Street resident repeatedly stole drink from branches of Morrison’s December 2016 and July of this year.

Fiscal depute Hazel Emmerson told the court how the accused swiped £153 of drink from Morrison’s in the town’s Thread Street on July 11 by attempting to avoid the security detectors.

She said: “A member of staff working at the spirits’ aisle observed the accused approaching the check out carrying a large dark holdall.

“He lifted the bag over the security detectors. Witnesses observed this was an attempt to prevent the alarm from activating.

“They contacted a security guard and reviewed CCTV which showed the accused entering the store with the holdall.

“He was observed crouching down at the locus placing various bottles inside the dark holdall.”

The court heard Morning also stole a £15 bottle of Southern Comfort from Morrison’s at Napier Street, Johnstone, on December 8 last year.

The fiscal added: “The security guard’s attention was drawn to the accused by his demeanour.

“He was observed removing the security tag from the bottle. “This was captured on CCTV.” The accused, who was arrested by police shortly afterwards, was unable to reply to caution or charge due to his state of intoxication.

Morning appeared for sentencing yesterday after admitting the shoplifting charges and a number of breaches of bail.

Defence agent Terry Gallanagh said: “He is a 34-year-old man whose life has been blighted by alcohol and drugs misuse.

“He has little recollection of the events due to his state of intoxication.

“Obviously he regrets these matters and would like to apologise for his conduct.”

Sheriff Tom McCartney told the accused: “I am going to impose a prison sentence in respect of these matters.

“I do that because of the repeated nature of your offending and because you have a substantial record of previous convictions and failures to appear at court.”

He handed Morning six months for the two shoplifting offences and two months for breaches of bail with these terms running consecutively.