'Petty theft' funded man's drinking habit, barrister tells Craigavon court after 32-year-old caught stealing from Spar and Tesco

Ruslans Andrejeva, from North Street, Lurgan, pleaded guilty of two charges of theft.

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He was charged with stealing various items valued at £60 or thereabouts from the Spar, Silverwood, Lurgan on Sunday, May 5 this year and a second charge of stealing clothing valued at £40 from Tesco in Craigavon on January 20 this year.

The defendant’s barrister, Mr David McKeown, said his client had a “strong work ethic” until the summer of 2023. He had been living and working in this jurisdiction but then took to alcohol and lost his job.

"To fund the drinking he engaged in petty theft and that is almost the entirety of his record,” said Mr McKeown.

The barrister explained they attempted to bring all the “low level” separate thefts before a district judge in December 2023 but he refused jurisdiction describing them as a “spree”.

"There was considerable delay bringing them to the crown court,” said Mr McKeown, adding the defendant then received a suspended sentence which was breached a short time later and the sentences were activated.

Mr McKeown said that what seems to happen with Andrejeva is that he comes out of custody and has very little support which is impeded by his inability to get work.

"He’s living off his partner’s very limited means,” the barrister added.

Mr McKeown suggested a suspended sentence, however District Judge Natasha Fitzsimmons said suspended sentences have been tried “multiple times”. She counted six thefts for which the defendant had received suspended sentences at Craigavon Magistrates Court previously, more suspended sentences in July 2024 given by Craigavon Crown Court regarding five thefts.

The district judge said Andrejeva was given custody in December last year. Mr McKeown said he rarely gets bail due to his record and is usually “time served”.

Mr McKeown said his client is in a quandary regarding his issue over identification and he can’t register with a GP because of that. “It’s all being dealt with very, very slowly through immigration.”

A PSNI officer explained that in relation to the earlier offence, the defendant would “probably be time served”. However, he further explained that on Friday, April 24 Andrejeva was released but was arrested less than two weeks later for another theft.

"There is a vicious cycle that he is in,” said the officer.

District Judge Fitzsimmons pointed out that others had made good points for Andrejeva, however she said she could only impose a custodial sentence given his “significant record”.

She sentenced him to three months in prison for each charge to run concurrently.

Andrejeva’s solicitor asked to appeal the sentence and sought bail so that his client could get support.

The district judge fixed his bail at £250 pending appeal but did not authorise his release. She activated all the live suspended sentences reducing the terms to three months and to run concurrently with his current sentence. She referred the two crown court suspended sentences back to the crown court.

"I think there is a risk of reoffending,” she said.