A PROLIFIC criminal with a track record of shoplifting has been jailed for over a year after stealing joints of meat and bottles of vodka from a supermarket store.

Darren Brennan, of Smeaton Street in Barrow, stole £166.99 worth of items from a Tesco store in Barrow on January 5 this year, Preston Crown Court heard.

Prosecutor Alaric Walmsley said the defendant and another male were identified on CCTV placing four bottles of vodka as well as lamb and beef joints into plastic bags.

It was not the first time that Brennan had admitted to stealing food from supermarket stores.

The 51-year-old was convicted of swiping £131 worth of steaks and beef joints from an Aldi store in Barrow last year.

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Mr Walmsley said the latest offence was committed just ten days before he was due to be sentenced for possessing a bladed article in a public place on October 25 last year.

A judge on January 15 sentenced Brennan to a 12-month community order with conditions to complete rehabilitation requirement days and unpaid work.

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His Honour Judge Simon Medland KC later gave Brennan an opportunity on April 4 by deferring the sentence for three months but he was unable to show he was able to complete the stipulations of the community order punishment, the court heard.

In mitigation, Jack Troup said the defendant’s antecedent record ‘did not make for good reading’ after amassing 49 previous convictions for 89 offences.

Mr Troup said his client had lost the custody of his three children in 2019 which he said was the ‘catalyst’ for the defendant falling back to drug and alcohol use.

He added his client was unable to complete the unpaid work requirements of the community order due to his partner at the time suffering from mental health difficulties.

Before jailing Brennan for 13 months, Judge Medland told the court: “Adults are responsible for the consequences of their actions.

“There is an absolute epidemic of shoplifting offences. People work very hard sometimes working two jobs and cannot afford to pay for food and here is someone who is just pinching it.

“You cannot say I did not give you a chance. You have shown when you do not drink or take drugs that you can live a law-abiding life but you just cannot keep yourself on the straight and narrow.”

Judge Medland imposed an eight-month custodial sentence for the theft and an additional consecutive five-month sentence for the bladed article offence.

The previously imposed community order was revoked.