Bassetlaw thief left homeless and penniless by benefit sanctions

Joel Kemp told police he stole £9 of meat to eat, from Iceland, on March 4, and £57 of alcohol, from Aldi, on March 11, which he planned to sell to buy food.

Kemp, 29, of The Grange, admitted theft when he appeared before magistrates in Mansfield, on Wednesday.

Richard Etherington, mitigating, said Kemp had been homeless since Christmas and fell into heroin use, before he was sanctioned by the benefits agency and left “homeless and penniless.”

He had since found stable accommodation and hoped to find work once his drug issues had been tackled, said Mr Etherington.

Cheryl Nisbet, of the probation service, said she was pleased with his progress after he tested negative for drugs.

Kemp was given a nine month community order, with ten days of a rehabilitation activity, and ordered to pay compensation to the stores.