Leeds Crown Court: Homeless man caught stealing £135 worth of steak and chocolate from Iceland

Karl Cockerill, 39, who now lives with his mother in Wakefield, was sentenced for two counts of theft at Leeds Crown Court on Thursday.

He was late arriving and when he did enter the court Judge Paul Batty said: “There’s a very, very strong smell of alcohol in the room.”

The court heard that Cockerill was seen “acting suspiciously” in Co-Op on High Street in Horbury, Wakefield on September 13 this year. He was caught taking some San Miguel lager from the store before later dropping it in a bin.

Then, on October 12 he was caught stealing £135 worth of steak and chocolate from the Iceland store on Kirkgate in Wakefield.

The court heard that Cockerill was homeless at the time and lived in a tent by the job centre with an open fire, on which he hoped to cook his steaks. He had carried out the offences while undertaking rehabilitation for his drug use.

Cockerill had stopped taking the substance he was addicted to but had since become an alcoholic, the court heard.

Judge Batty said: “The problem with people who take too much alcohol is they never turn up for anything.”

He sentenced Cockerill to a 12 month community order and 20 days of rehabilitation activity to help him stop drinking.

Judge Batty said: "You have got to get off the drink now. That is the big one. Your mum will want you off it.”