A SHOPLIFTER took £570 of Vodka from Skipton Tesco stuffing the bottles into bags before escaping from the store via a fire exit.

Louis Heckles, 26, had only recently been released from prison when he stole the alcohol with another man on January 6, heard Skipton Magistrates Court on Friday.

He also caused £250 damage to a gate on his way out of the store, the court heard.

Heckles, who admitted theft and criminal damage was currently on post sentencing supervision following his spell in prison and had already been recalled once, the court was told.

It was 1.45pm on January 6 when Heckles entered the store with three other men. Staff were suspicious of the group, two left after buying cigarettes, leaving Heckles and the other man.

Together they put a number of items into bags and fled the store through a fire exit at the back of the premises, damaging a gate on their way.

Both men were later identified on the store's CCTV.

Mitigating, Keith Blackwell said Heckles had a lengthy record, including a lot of theft, and had been a regular visitor to HM prisons. 

He said when he had been released from prison he had been in a difficult situation with no accommodation or money.

Mr Blackwell said Heckles deeply regretted what he had done and was full of remorse, was working with his probation officer and now had somewhere to live.

Unusually, Heckles, who was repeatedly told by the bench chair to stop interrupting the proceedings, spoke to  the court saying  that the last five years had been the hardest of his life.

"I fell into addiction early in my life and made a lot of mistakes; but since coming out of prison again, I have changed my life, I've got my own property and am trying my best," he told the court.

Andrew Watson, probation officer, told the court that Heckles appeared to be making progress; although it seemed he had switched an addiction to drugs to alcohol.

The magistrate bench chair told Heckles, of Century Street, Keighley, that it was concerning that he had continued offending while on post-sentence supervision, but hoped that such behaviour was in the past.

"We are taking you at face value today and are not sending you back to prison, but if you do not do what probation tells you to do, and if we see you back here, you will be going to prison."

Heckles was given a 12 month community order with up to 25 rehabilitation activity requirement days. He was also ordered to pay compensation to Tesco of £285 for the alcohol and £250 for the damage. There was no order for costs.