Addict stole brownies, £172 worth of Jack Daniels and Lucozade from Tesco to pay off drug debt, Craigavon court hears

The 52-year-old defendant appeared before Craigavon Magistrates Court via video link from Maghaberry Prison.

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Aiden McGurgan, from Ballyoran Crescent, Portadown pleaded guilty to two counts of theft and an attempted theft charge.

The court heard two men were seen entering Tesco in Portadown on November 6, 2025. They lifted items, including bottles of alcohol, brownies and a bottle of Lucozade totalling around £301.69 and left without attempting to pay.

The alcohol bottles were security tagged but the alarm didn’t sound when the men took them from the store.

The defendant was identified via CCTV.

On March 3 this year, the defendant entered Lidl in Lurgan. He put washing pods into a trolley then made his way to the alcohol aisle and put bottles of vodka and whiskey into the trolley – a total of £234.04 of goods. He attempted to leave the store but was stopped by staff.

“He became aggressive and left, but all items were recovered and fit for resale,” said a prosecutor.

Police received a report on March 5 this year of a theft from Tesco in Lurgan. The defendant stole Jack Daniels worth £172.50.

McGurgan’s barrister, Mr Aaron Thompson, said his client’s offending in November didn’t breach any suspended sentences however the March offending does.

"He’s a man in his 50s who has struggled massively with drug addiction,” said Mr Thompson.

He said the defendant claimed he carried out the thefts to pay off a drug debt.

"That absolutely tallies with his entire criminal record and all his criminal behaviour,” said Mr Thompson, who added McGurgan has been in custody since mid March.

"He does have help but until he beats the drugs…” said the barrister.

District Judge Michael Ranaghan described McGurgan’s record as “very poor”. He told him that if he didn’t get himself together he would spend the rest of his life in prison or awaiting prison.

For each of the three charges McGurgan was sentenced to five months. The district judge said he would active all three suspended sentences by three months in part concurrent to each other but consecutive to the five months – leaving a global sentence of eight months.