A SHOPLIFTER who made off without paying for a hotel bill was jailed for a total of four months by Rochdale magistrates.
Neil George Corness, aged 40, of Holmfield Green, Deane, Bolton, had recently been released from a 10-month prison sentence when he was arrested in Rochdale.
He admitted stealing a bottle of cream liqueur worth £7 from Marks & Spencer, a sandwich from Gabbots, and leaving a £35 hotel bill unpaid.
The court heard Corness had a long record and was presently fighting an alcohol problem.
Defending, Gordon Haigh said Corness had been on remand for a number of weeks and while in Forest Bank Prison had been detoxing. He had been seeking counselling from Alcoholics Anonymous.
Mr Haigh said Corness was at risk of being returned to prison, in any event, to complete a previous sentence from which he had been released early.
The case at Rochdale had been adjourned earlier for reports although Corness himself had indicated that he wanted the matters dealt with without reports, even though he knew it would certainly mean he would go to jail.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article