A Birmingham man with a long criminal record turned to shoplifting after being evicted from his HMO and losing access to methadone treatment.
Darren Shale, 52, of Middleton Hall Road, stole more than £200 worth of goods from Aldi on Pershore Road on May 5. The haul included 19 blocks of Cathedral City cheese, seven salmon fillets and a jigsaw sander with battery and charger.
Birmingham Magistrates' Court heard Shale had been evicted from his HMO along with other tenants the same week. Without a fixed address, he was unable to access his methadone treatment through Change Grow Live (CGL).
His solicitor, Mr Ball, told the court: “We are on unfamiliar ground here because there has been a marked deceleration in frequency. This was a one off, simply because of the break in his address.”
The court heard Shale has 43 convictions for 83 offences, with 59 of them being theft. His last crime had been in 2024 before this incident.
Shale was ordered to pay £197 by magistrates who warned of a collection order.
