A 27-year-old Laxey man has been handed a conditional discharge after stealing a box of Lucky Charms cereal bars.

Wayne Vincent Dale, of Glen Mooar, initially denied the offence but changed his plea to guilty.

Prosecutor Mark Benson told the court how, on November 11 at 9.40pm, Dale was in Ellan Vannin Fuels on New Road in Laxey with another man.

He paid for a number of items and put them in a green carrier bag.

But as the other man was at the check out, Dale put the Lucky Charms into his bag of shopping and left the shop without paying for them.

A customer noticed the theft and reported it to the manager.

After CCTV footage was viewed police went to Dale’s home but he refused to answer the door, even though officers said he was in.

Officers looked in his bin and found the empty box of cereal bars.

An interview was scheduled with Dale but he failed to attend saying that he was ill.

Mr Benson went on to say that Dale had an ’extensive criminal history’.

Defending Dale in court his advocate Ian Kermode said that his client was currently subject to a six month suspended sentence and a two year supervision order imposed for possessing cocaine and cultivating cannabis.

Mr Kermode said: ’Mr Dale accepts the dishonesty element. He purchased other items. He acted on impulse. He saw the cereal bars and decided to take them. He was not feeling well and would say he was not thinking rationally. His last conviction for theft was four and a half years ago. He very much regrets this moment of madness.’

Deputy High Bailiff Jayne Hughes ruled that it would be unjust the activate the suspended sentence and that the conditional discharge should run alongside the current suspended sentence supervision order imposed previously.

Dale must also pay £5 compensation for the cereal bars and £125 prosecution costs.