Worksop shoplifter landed with £242 court bill after stealing £45 of goods

Gary Widdowson was recorded on CCTV when he pedalled on to the forecourt of a petrol station in distinctive clothes before taking two bottles of Adblue from Morrisons on April 4.

Becky Allsop, prosecuting, said he was stopped later that day wearing the same clothes and made no comment when he was interviewed by police.

The court heard he has 15 previous convictions for 37 offences, predominantly for drug misuse, and was last in trouble for three counts of shoplifting in January 2022 when he was fined.

Nichola Thorpe, mitigating, said Widdowson deserved full credit for his early guilty plea and has found a permanent council flat in Chesterfield since his last conviction.

She said he has recently been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and depression for which he has been prescribed medication.

"On the day in question he took some mamba and needed money," she said.

"He planned to sell the goods for food and to fund his addiction."

Widdowson, aged 38, formerly of Vicars Walk, Worksop, and now of Cobnar Drive, Chesterfield, admitted shop theft when he appeared at Mansfield Magistrates Court.

The presiding magistrate told him: "It's a shame to see you back in court after you have stayed out of trouble for so long."

He was fined £80 and ordered to pay £45 compensation, along with a £32 surcharge and £85 costs.