IN a “moment of stupidity” a man stole almost £200 of perfume and aftershave from a town centre shop with the woman he was out shopping with.
David Watkins-Rudman appeared before magistrates today charged with stealing £198.47 from Boots in the Brunel Plaza on January 2, jointly with a woman who was not in court.
Prosecuting, Keith Ballinger told the court they had taken the goods and made off without paying, but the woman was detained a short distance away.
The goods were returned to the shop.
Watkins-Rudman, 29, was later arrested at an address he was staying at.
He gave his current address to magistrates as The Circle, Pinehurst.
Defending him, Mark Glendenning told the court Watkins-Rudman had not planned to go into Boots to shoplift.
He said: "They were just looking but took the opportunity to take mostly tester bottles that weren’t tagged."
Mr Ballinger said Watkins-Rudman is currently not working due to illness and he needs to find accommodation as he is staying with a friend.
"It was a moment of stupidity," he told magistrates.
"He accepts that and he apologises.”
Chairman of the bench Simon Wolfensohn sentenced Watkins-Rudman to a financial penalty for the thefts. He was ordered to pay a fine of £50, a contribution to the prosecution’s costs of £45 and a victim surcharge of £20.
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