Man stole a bottle of Buckfast and damaged flower stand in Portadown, Craigavon court hears

Jamie Geddis, of 4 Rockmount Close, Newry but originally from the north Armagh area, appeared at Craigavon Magistrates Court via video link from Maghaberry Prison.

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The 35-year-old faced two charges of criminal damage of a flower stand and flowers at a Vivo shop in Portadown on November 25 last year and also stole a bottle of Buckfast valued at £10 from Winemark.

Geddis’ barrister, Mr Conor Lunny, asked that the case be dealt with without a pre-sentence report. When the theft charge was put to the defendant, he chose to have the case dealt with in the magistrates court rather than the crown court.

The court heard that on Monday, November 24 at around 6.30am, police were called to VIVO on the Ashgrove Road, Portadown where 15 minutes earlier ‘an aggressive male’ had tipped over the flower stand outside the shop, damaging flowers and the stand and caused £300 worth of damage.

Police were able to identify Geddis from CCTV footage. A further incident was reported by Winemark on the same day. At around 4.05pm he went into the store and was spotted on CCTV footage concealing a 75cl bottle of Buckfast valued at £9.69 making off without paying.

Mr Lunny said his client had been on remand since the date of the offences accruing a total of two months real time aside from other sentences he served.

The barrister said he had acted for Geddis for “the majority of his criminal career”. He said Geddis had been living in Newry away from his “usual peer group around the north Armagh area which really did him no favours”.

Geddis was described as a “long time drug addict and drink addict” and he “relapsed”. Mr Lunny explained that he turned to Buckfast and illicit drugs after he fell out with his girlfriend.

"He’s ashamed. His record does him no favours whatsoever,” the barrister said, asking the district judge for maximum credit given the way the defendant met the charges.

Geddis was sentenced to six months on each charge with a £25 offender levy.