AN OSWESTRY man who shoplifted after his benefits were lost over being incorrectly sanctioned has been fined by a magistrates court.
Wayne Smitherman, 38 and of Sycamore Drive, pleaded guilty to shoplifting items to the value of £82.89 from B&M in Wrexham on September 2 this year.
Magistrates at Wrexham Magistrates Court heard that the defendant was caught on in-store CCTV by a member of staff who had seen him put an electric toothbrush and other items into his bag.
He then went to pay for a bottle of diet Coke but did not try to purchase the items he had stowed in the bag.
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Police were called and Smitherman was caught in Mold Road, with all items recovered by B&M.
However, the court was told that the defendant’s decision to commit the theft was drawn out of a ‘dire’ financial situation.
Magistrates heard the Smitherman had been sanctioned by the Department of Works and Pensions (DWP) for failing to attend an appointment, which he argued and subsequently proved, receiving an apology from the DWP.
This sanctioning had left Smitherman with little to no money.
He had travelled to the city from his home in Oswestry after arranging to borrow cash from a friend, who lived in Wrexham, but discovered they had had a change of mind when he arrived.
Smitherman then chose to steal items to the value of £82.
His legal representation told the court that while he has previous theft offences on his record, he had last offended in April 2020 and had been forced to do so by his lack of funds following the incorrect sanctioning.
The court was also told that he was considered to be a good father to his three children, who he saw each weekend, and that he was working with Shropshire Council to find long-term housing.
Sentencing him, magistrates said: “We’ve listened very carefully to your solicitor about how you’ve got your offending under control.
“But in this instance, you went back to your old ways and that’s not going to help you.
“We’re going to fine you and we accept your early guilty plea.”
Smitherman was fined £80 and was ordered to pay costs of £85 and a victim surcharge of £5 – £170 in total, which will be deducted from his benefits.
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