A teenager from London decided to ‘celebrate’ his 18th birthday by stealing more than £400 worth of items from the Tesco store in Hobeach.
Alan Corcoran, who was 17 at the time of the theft but was 18 the next day, of Lynton Close in Brent, admitted theft when he appeared before magistrates in Boston.
Prosecuting, Michael Cole said that on March 9, Corcoran went with a friend into Tesco and filled up
bags with razor blades and multi-vitamins worth £466 and then tried to leave the store without paying.
He said the friend escaped when approached by security staff but Corcoran was arrested.
Mitigating, Michael Alexander said Corcoran, who has no previous convictions, and his friend, whose girlfriend the pair were visiting, made the ‘stupid decision’ to go into Tesco and steal.
He said there was no plan as to what they were going to do with the stolen goods and if he had given an explanation at the police station instead of giving a ‘no comment’ interview, he may well have been given a caution as he was a youth at the time.
The magistrates said it was ‘extraordinary behaviour’ to ‘celebrate’ his birthday in this way and told him he knew what he was doing by going for the ‘high value stuff’.
He was fined £80 and ordered to pay £34 in court charges.
