A Newry man who tried to make off with cosmetics and aftershave, worth over £200, from two city stores has been handed a suspended sentence.
Court heard how the 23-year-old gave police a false name and address, before attempting to run off following his detection.
Christopher Burns, of John Mitchel Street, pleaded guilty to two counts of theft, obstructing police and possession of Class C at the city’s Magistrates’ on Tuesday.
Prosecution outlined that on August 15, police received a report of a detained shoplifter at Buttercrane shopping centre in Newry.
Officers arrived and spoke to staff of Superdrug. They stated that the defendant had been stopped after being observed placing two bottles of Gucci aftershave inside his trouser legs.
Burns had been detained and the goods, which were valued at £45 each, were retrieved and fit for resale.
Initially, the defendant gave police a false name and address. He also made an attempt to escape and flee but was apprehended.
During a search of Burns, police located four yellow tablets marked MSJ, which he fully admitted to being diazepam.
In a backpack, officers also discovered Rimmel cosmetics products to the value of £174.94, which were found to have been stolen from McKeevers Chemist.
Defence barrister Kevin Magill submitted that Burns suffered from “anxiety and depression”, and revealed his client had “addiction issues in the past”.
District Judge Eamonn King sentenced the defendant to four months in prison suspended for two years and made a destruction order for the drugs.
