A WORKINGTON man left a retailer with out paying for a canine lead he wanted for his lurcher — and tried to flee when challenged by employees.
Warran Bragg’s offence of theft would often have been handled in a magistrates’ court docket.
However as a result of 35-year-old Bragg was topic to a crown court-imposed suspended jail time period on the time, his petty shoplifting crime got here earlier than a decide.
Bragg had initially been jailed by magistrates after he was present in possession of a knife exterior the Workington Spar store on Westfield Drive.
The blade was positioned in his proper hand trouser pocket.
However he lodged an enchantment towards the severity of the six-month sentence, which was suspended for 2 years.
A crown court docket enchantment panel heard in February that Bragg hadn’t deliberate to make use of the implement as a weapon, that he was flippantly convicted and had battled with a psychological well being situation.
Bragg was as an alternative ordered to finish rehabilitation work below probation service supervision.
However he was again at Carlisle Crown Courtroom on Tuesday.
Prosecutor Gerard Rogerson mentioned Bragg had gone into Poundstretcher on August 25, chosen the £15 canine lead after which left the shop. He was challenged.
“He mentioned he was going to come back again and pay for it,” mentioned Mr Rogerson. “He threw the lead on the ground and ran off. He was taken maintain of by the shop supervisor and prevented from leaving.”
Bragg, of Purser Street, Salterbeck, admitted theft and his case was despatched to the crown court docket for a decide to resolve whether or not or not the sooner suspended jail time period needs to be activated.
Jeff Smith, defending, mentioned: “Mr Bragg has a four-year-old lurcher. It had chewed by means of the lead it had.”
Bragg had picked a substitute at Poundstretcher and went exterior to the canine, aspiring to then return in and pay for it. “I perceive he has complied totally with probation,” mentioned Mr Smith of the earlier punishment.
That was confirmed by a probation officer in court docket. “He’s complying properly,” she mentioned.
Requested by Recorder Paul Hodgkinson whether or not he ought to impose extra rehabilitation work as an alternative of jail time, the officer replied: “That would solely be a great factor.
“To exhibit it (the theft) was a one-off.”
The decide determined it will be unjust to lively the jail sentence, and as an alternative gave Bragg 10 extra rehabilitation work days.
“It’s imposed with the hope you’ll proceed to learn from that and steer away from offences similar to these,” he mentioned.
