A YORK man who feared he did not have enough petrol to start a new job as a landscape gardener turned to wine to solve his problem, York magistrates heard.
Martin Butterworth, prosecuting, said Paul Stephen Davison, 29, walked out of Kwiksave's Foxwood store with two boxes of wine last Thursday.
He got into a car and drove off before staff could stop him, but was tracked down using CCTV pictures.
David Hurlstone, mitigating, said Davison stole the wine to sell and raise money to buy petrol.
He was on the dole and realised he did not have enough petrol to start a job as a landscape gardener.
Davison, of Peterhill Drive, Clifton, York, pleaded guilty to stealing wine worth £23.98 and was given a six-month conditional discharge.
Mr Hurlstone said Davison was trying to go straight, after serving a prison sentence for shoplifting to fund a former heroin habit.
Updated: 09:06 Friday, May 16, 2003
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