A MAN has appeared in court after being charged with shoplifting and failing to comply with a community order.

Robert Benjamin Carroll found himself in the dock after he stole products from Sports Direct in Barrow.

The 33-year-old defendant was also charged with failing to comply with a curfew handed down to him from a previous shoplifting offence.

Carroll admitted the charges when he appeared before the bench at South Cumbria Magistrates’ Court in Barrow.

Prosecutor Rachel Parker told the court the shoplifting offence at the sports retailer’s store in Dalton Road happened at 4pm on December 7.

She told magistrates how the man stole items and was followed out the store by a member of staff.

“The defendant has entered the store and picked up an Under Armour jumper and a four pack of boxer shorts and left without attempting to pay.

“He was then followed by the staff member.”

She said he threw the Under Armour jumper on the ground and said ‘that’s yours’ followed by an expletive.

The prosecutor told the court that when interviewed by police, Carroll said he stole the products to sell them and ‘make some money’.

The products were worth around £60 in total.

Carroll was handed a curfew earlier in April following a previous shoplifting offence.

The court heard he stole bottles of Jack Daniel’s and a cheese sandwich from Morrison’s on February 26.

The court heard electronic monitoring services attended the defendant’s home but could not enter because he was living with a friend, who was not in, and he had left his key inside having gone.

They then returned to the property the next day the property was ‘in darkness and no one answered the door’.

Carroll, of Mardale Grove in Barrow, was represented in court by Andrew Gallagher.

He said: “It’s inexplicable as to why we are in July 2020 dealing with a shop theft that occurred back in December of last year.

“I’m going to suggest you deal with all matters today with the imposition of a further curfew order.

“This was not a deliberate attempt to avoid the order.

“The defendant had left his keys in the property that day and his friend had gone out.

"He is now staying at another friend’s address but I’m told by the defendant it’s as settled an address as he can have at this stage of his life and will be able to comply with a curfew at this address.”

The court heard the defendant was in receipt of universal credit and not working.

For the offences, Carroll was sentenced to a new curfew.

He will have to stay at home between 6pm and 6am for the next 10 weeks.

The defendant was also handed a victim surcharge of £90 and costs of £85 to the prosecution for bringing the case before the court.

After sentencing him, chair of the bench Anne Hawson told the defendant: “Make sure you are at that address.

“Try not to come back here quite so often - it’s expensive.”