A 63-year-old Onchan man has been fined £300 after admitting stealing vodka from a supermarket.

Hugh McKelvie, of Barrule Drive, pleaded guilty to three theft charges and was fined £100 for each, as well as being ordered to pay £125 prosecution costs.

McKelvie must also pay £12.90 in compensation to Shoprite for the thefts.

Prosecutor Michael Jelski told the court how, on May 17, police were called to Shoprite in Village Walk in Onchan after a report of thefts there.

McKelvie had been detained by staff after he walked out of the store with a bottle of Tolstoy vodka and a Sun newspaper, said to be worth a total of £10.45.

CCTV footage from May 9 also showed McKelvie walk into the store and go to the alcohol aisle.

He then picked up a bottle of White Lightning cider, worth £2.95, and walked out without paying.

Further footage, on May 16, showed McKelvie enter the store and buy The Sun.

vodka

He then re-entered the shop, picked up a bottle of Tolstoy vodka, worth £9.95, and concealed it in the newspaper as he again left without paying.

He was arrested and taken to police headquarters where he admitted the thefts on May 9 and 16.

When quizzed about the theft on May 17, McKelvie said he had been in a ’bit of a daze’ when he picked up the paper and vodka.

He said he stepped outside and then turned around to go back inside and pay but was stopped by staff before he could.

McKelvie said he had been suffering from depression and misuse of alcohol. He could not say why he had committed the offences, but said that he accepted responsibility.

The court heard that the vodka and newspaper from May 17 had been returned but compensation was claimed for the items from May 9 and 16.

Defending McKelvie in court, his advocate Pamela Pringle said: ’My client wishes to apologise profusely to the court. He has been suffering from depression and self-medicated with alcohol unfortunately.

problems

’He has had problems since January. Until then he had a regular job, then his employment was terminated.

’Since then he has applied for over 60 jobs. He is 63 and worried sick about not being able to get employment.

’He wants to work but isn’t confident he can find any. He has been stuck in the house watching the television getting more and more fed up.

’But he has engaged with Motiv8 and hasn’t had a drink since May 17, the date of the last offence.

’He wants to apologise to Shoprite. He is currently on Job Seeker’s Allowance of £52 per fortnight, as his wife works.

’He is genuinely sorry, there have been no offences since 2009.’

Deputy High Bailiff Jayne Hughes gave McKelvie credit for pleading guilty at the first opportunity.

Mrs Hughes said: ’You have previous convictions of a similar nature, carried out over a similar period of time, in 2009, but nothing since then.

’Mrs Pringle said this was arising out of self-medicating. If you are suffering from mental illness seek help from your GP.

’There are no answers in any bottle of alcohol.’