A SHOPLIFTER stole bottles of wine to help him cope with a bereavement, a court has heard.

John Michael Woolley, 40, of Etnam Street, Leominster, pleaded guilty to two counts of theft when he appeared before magistrates in Hereford on December 18.

Nicola Ritchie, prosecuting, said Woolley had been caught on CCTV taking two bottles of wine worth £11.98 from Kington's High Street Nisa store on August 13.

He was later seen on August 24 taking six packs of steak worth £33 from the same store.

Neither the bottles of wine nor the packs of steak were recovered from Woolley.

Marilena Di Vitantonio, for Woolley, said he admitted the thefts, but that his situation had changed in the time it had taken for the matter to come to court.

"His life at that time was quite different," she said.

"He had been bereaved and was suffering with money problems. He stole the drink as a coping method to deal with those bereavements, and he stole the meat to eat, not to sell. He was just trying to get by."

Miss Di Vitantonio said Woolley's benefits had since been sorted out and he had moved from Kington to Leominster.

"He was not stealing to fund an addiction, and he is getting his life back on track," she said.

Woolley was given a six-month conditional discharge and ordered to pay £44.38 in compensation to Nisa Stores. He must also pay £75 in costs and a £21 victim surcharge.