A MAN who was high on heroin and stole four lamb joints from a Tesco Express store has been fined.

David Brewer, 36, of May Place, was caught on CCTV running out of the store in Basingstoke with around £55 of meat.

The man said that he didn’t remember the incident because of his use of heroin but “accepts that it was him”.

Basingstoke Magistrates Court heard that the incident, which happened on August 7, prompted Brewer to consider his drug use and, according to defence counsel Ed Stott, resulted in him going “cold turkey”.

“He has had a couple of days work with a view to starting full time in the foreseeable future,” Mr Stott continued.

Chair of Magistrates Deborah Luff said that she was fining Brewer as a “direct punishment” of the offence.

He was fined £50 and will have to pay compensation for the meat he stole.

However, he does not have to pay a victim surcharge of costs, because of his financial situation.