A HEROIN addict stole laptops and champagne to fund his habit, a court has heard.
David Williamson, 32, of Proudfoot Drive, Bishop Auckland, admitted stealing two laptops worth £1,400 from Durham Sainsbury’s with an accomplice on November 21, as well as stealing a £1 sandwich from Poundland in St Helen Auckland ten days earlier.
He also pleaded guilty to stealing three bottles of champagne worth £60 from Marks and Spencer in Bishop Auckland on November 29.
Newton Aycliffe Magistrates’ Court heard the offences put him breach of a conditional discharge imposed for a previous offence.
Brenda Robertson of the probation service said Williamson had an historic problem with heroin and turned to shoplifting to fund his habit when he missed his methadone dose.
She said he had agreed to be voluntarily tagged by the police since his arrest and suggested that he deserved the chance to work with the probation service because there had been no intervention from them since 2003.
Magistrates sentenced him to 12 months' supervision with a six-month drug rehabilitation programme.
They also ordered him to pay £760 compensation.
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