A thief who stole around £50 worth of items from a Birmingham B&M store admitted he acted "out of desperation," a court heard.
Christopher Kidson, aged 35, appeared at Birmingham Magistrates' Court, where he pleaded guilty to stealing between £40 and £50 worth of products from the premises on April 17 this year.
Prosecuting solicitor, Shajah Javed, said a member of staff approached a police officer at around 11.20am that day before showing them CCTV of the incident.
Two days later, on April 19, officers "spotted the defendant" and "noticed him wearing the same clothes" as seen on the footage, said Mr Javed. He gave "no comment" during interview, the prosecution added.
Kidson did not have a defence solicitor during the court hearing held on Tuesday, May 19, and instead spoke for himself. The defendant explained that he "became homeless" and was struggling to find a place to live, before he was "put into a HMO". However, Kidson said he "got bullied" out of those premises and subsequently found himself "on the streets".
Asked by deputy district judge, Olwen Davis, if there was a possibility of him finding a place to live soon, Kidson responded: "It's not looking that way." He added: "I have no addiction. I was just in a moment of desperation."
The hearing was told Kidson, who gave no fixed address at court, but was listed as living at Stanton Grove, Tipton, last appeared before the court in 2021. Having heard his difficult circumstances, Ms Davis decided to impose a 12-month conditional discharge. Kidson, who said he was receiving benefits at a reduced rate, was also ordered to pay £40 compensation to B&M. The judge added: "Stay out of trouble."
