Sweet smelling thief caught

When he was drunk a 37-year-old man stole aftershave from a chemists shop in Banbridge, the local magistrates' court heard last Thursday.

John Paul Whitla, Hillcrest Manor, Craigavon, admitted the theft of the item, valued at £18, on June 18 this year.

He was sentenced to two months in prison, suspended for 12 months.

The court heard Whitla went into Gordon’s Chemists in Banbridge and asked an assistant about a prescription.

She went to the back of the shop and when she returned she noticed that a bottle of aftershave she had been filling was missing.

When interviewed Whitla said he could not remember the incident because he was intoxicated.

A defence barrister said Whitla had been heavily intoxicated and took this partially full bottle of aftershave which was recovered.

The barrister said Whitla had 61 previous convictions with a number of them for dishonesty.

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