A MEMBER of staff at a community shop in Swindon was caused distress and inconvenience when a drug addict walked into a back room at the shop and stole her purse from her handbag.

Garry Christopher Bourne, 39, of Wolsely Avenue, admitted theft of the purse when he appeared before magistrates sitting in Swindon yesterday.

Pauline Lambert, prosecuting, told the court that late in the afternoon of September 15 the victim noticed that her purse, left in her handbag in the private back office of Walcot Community Shop, Sussex Square, was missing.

CCTV footage showed a man, later identified as Bourne, going through the shop into the back office.

When questioned by police Bourne made a full and frank admission of the theft, which he described as “an earner” and said he had spent the £12 in cash on heroin.

Miss Lambert said the victim had since become stressed about leaving her handbag unattended, had no access to cash for three days because all her cards had been in the purse, and she had to pay £20 for a new copy of her driving licence.

Defending, Mark Glendenning said Bourne, who had trouble with taking illicit drugs, accepted that he had gone into the shop with the intention of stealing and he apologised.

Chairman of the bench Debbie Slater said Bourne’s opportunist theft had caused the victim some distress and enormous inconvenience.

Bourne was ordered to pay compensation of £85 towards the cost of replacement of the purse and cash. He was also ordered to pay £85 court costs and £30 victim surcharge.