A man stole two power tools from a Worcester DIY store due to long queue

What an excuse! Amazing and true! The man could not be bothered to queue up and pay, a court was told. Stephen Kearney, of Warndon, Worcester, went into Homebase at Elgar Retail Park on Sunday, December 20, with two large hessian carrier bags.

Lisa Mayne, prosecuting at Worcester Magistrates Court, said a sales manager noticed Kearney heading towards the till area with the two bags which looked full. The 31-year-old then bypassed the tills and went out through the exit.

Ms Mayne said: "The defendant was asked to stop but he just kept walking away. He then turned around and said, ‘Do you know who you are talking to?’"

Unfortunately the reply was not reported but was probably something like "Yes. A shoplifter".

Kearney eloquently swore at the store worker, "%@*(&%@$!!!!", before getting into a car and driving off. The police were called and CCTV footage was checked which showed the two power tools being taken off the shelf and put into the bags.

Kearney was arrested and interviewed at Worcester police station on Wednesday, December 30.
He told officers he had gone into the store to buy Christmas decorations and said he had £500 cash on him to pay for them.

Ms Mayne said: "He saw the tools then concealed them in the two bags. He said there was a large queue and couldn’t be bothered to wait and pay for the items."

The court was told how Kearney was given a two-year conditional discharge in January last year for two similar shoplifting offences.

In October 2008 he stole perfume worth £32 from Debenhams in High Street, Worcester, and in November 2008 he stole two pints of milk and three legs of lamb worth £38 from Tesco in Warndon, both we assume with long queues too, but not reported.

He then pleaded guilty to the theft from Homebase and also admitted breaching his conditional discharge. He was sentenced to a six-month community order with six months of supervision.
Kearney was also given a four-month curfew order from 7am to 7pm and has to pay £79 compensation to Homebase and £85 in costs.

Chairman of the magistrates Elaine Bell said: "We really don’t want to see you back in court and I’m sure you don’t want to go to prison."

Apparently the access to the court was relativeley unfettered by long queues, so no one is holding their breath.

Worcester News was the only member of the media at this hearing and thanks to them for reporting on this gem!

Get yourselves some DIY tools and pay for them.

Sorry no queues!