A YORK drunkard owes so much money in court bills he could be paying it off for the rest of his life, the city's magistrates heard.

Dick De La Tour, 49, of Garfield Terrace, Leeman Road, was making the latest of many appearances before them.

He pleaded guilty to stealing a bottle of Lambrini from Jackson's Supermarket.

Steven Ovenden, prosecuting, said that by the time police arrested him an hour after the theft, most of the alcohol had been drunk.

For De La Tour, Philip Brown said his offending was drink-related and he accepted he had a "significant difficulty with his consumption of alcohol".

The 49-year-old man estimated he currently owes £2,000 in fines, compensation and costs to the court from previous appearances and is paying it off by deductions from his state benefits.

But at the existing rate of payment "he is going to be making payments pretty much for the rest of his life", said Mr Brown.

Magistrates ordered him to pay compensation to the store but made no further punishment after hearing he had spent nearly 12 hours in custody following his arrest.