A town centre thief said he wanted to be arrested when he stole whisky from a Swindon Tesco as he cannot cope with being homeless.

Swindon man Loki Meridius, of no fixed address, said he took the alcohol on so he could feel safe and be fed for one night.

Meridius first appeared in court on May 20 and then again on May 21 after breaching his bail conditions.

Luke Jameson, representing Meridius on May 21, said: “It’s just unfortunate that he seems to be unable to cope with being homeless, and I can’t really blame him for that.

“He's tried to take advantage of custody by getting some meals and feeling safe. It's quite a sad situation.”

Keith Ballinger, prosecuting on May 20, said Meridius entered The Parade Tesco Express on May 17 and sat in one of the aisles.

Mr Ballinger said: “He wanted staff to call the police but he saw this was not going to happen and took a bottle.”

He left the store with a £16 bottle of whisky, which he started drinking while a staff member followed him.

Meridius swore at the Tesco worker. He later spat in the back of a police van after his arrest.

Mr Ballinger said: “He said he had a cold and was trying to clear his sinuses.”

On May 20, Meridius was released on bail on the condition he not enter The Parade Tesco.

On May 21 he reappeared in Swindon Magistrates' Court for breaching this condition, entering The Parade Tesco after drinking a bottle of vodka.

Mr Jameson said: “Ultimately, this stems from losing his accommodation in Swindon. He goes into Tesco as a cry for help.”

The court heard Meridius is currently homeless after Swindon Borough Council withdrew his social housing after a “dispute”.

He suffered abuse as a child and is a recovering drug addict. He has paranoid schizophrenia, among other health issues, and is being supported by the Liason and Diversion Service (LaDS).

Mr Jameson continued: “He understands that this is really only going to lead to one route and that is prison.”

Meridius thanked Mr Jameson who he said was the only person to advise him on how to get off the streets.

Meridius was released on conditional bail, to be sentenced at Swindon Magistrates' Court on July 1.

The magistrate emphasised that if he entered The Parade Tesco Express again, she would be left with no option but to jail him.