Last chance for booze thief who broke his payback order

A brazen shoplifter who repeatedly targeted the same supermarket has been warned to shape up or face jail.

Alexander Arrol, 32, swiped booze three times from a town centre branch of Iceland to feed his raging drink habit.

The thief stole drink from the supermarket at Houston Square in Johnstone on December 20, 2017, but then returned on March 19 and March 20, last year where he again was caught shoplifting alcohol from the premises.

Paisley Sheriff Court heard the accused from the town’s William Street had been handed community payback orders comprising unpaid work as an alternative to custody after he pleaded guilty to the shoplifting offences.

He appeared in the dock where he admitted breaching the punishment orders by not complying with the requirements set down.

Defence agent Rhona Lynch said: “He was handed a community payback order and now accepts he is in breach of the order.”

Sheriff Colin Pettigrew tore a strip off Arrol when he appeared in the dock to admit responsibility.

He said: “These orders were imposed as a direct alternative to custody.

“He was given 70 hours, and on the same date in respect of another matter your client was given 90 hours, totalling 160 hours of unpaid work.

“To date he has done eleven - that is 149 hours outstanding - given the admissions today.”

The sheriff added he was calling for an up- to- date Criminal Justice Social Work Report to find out the personal circumstances of Arrol.

He told the accused: “Following your admission of the breach of these orders, the court will want to find out some background about what is going on.

“I will allow you the privilege of bail for the preparation of a Criminal Jus t i c e Social Work Report.

“If you do not cooperate with the preparation of the report, and the report is not available when the case next comes to court and it is down to you, you will be remanded.”

Arrol previously sparked outrage after he hurled a puppy out of a third floor window in Paisley.

The brute left Jack Russell terrier Max with a broken leg following the attack in February 2017.

He will discover his fate when he returns to court on February 6.