10:56am Monday 25th June 2012
A CROOK who tried to steal jewellery from Matalan stuffed the £71 haul in his trousers, a court heard.
Ex-drug addict Francis Duffy, 34, said to have become aggressive and abusive when challenged, pulled down his waistband to prove there was nothing stolen there – and the jewellery promptly fell out.
He had been banned from the store in February, Burnley magistrates were told.
Duffy, who has almost 200 convictions, was hailed as ‘something of a success story’ by his solicitor because he has not been in trouble for nearly a year and had kicked his long-standing heroin habit.
The defendant, of Slater Avenue, Colne, admitted attempted theft in the town, on June 4. He was given a 12- month conditional discharge and must pay £85 costs and £8 compensation.
The court was told Duffy insisted he was not doing anything when a staff member, who had seen something sticking out of his trouser waistband, confronted him.
He had 191 previous convictions, 121 of them for theft. The defendant had not offended since last July.
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