A THIEF’S bid to get alcohol to help him recover from a heroin addiction has cost him £60.

York Magistrates Court heard staff at the Tesco store in Woodthorpe on April 17 caught Matthew John Dodson, 36, trying to walk out with chicken breasts worth £26 without paying.

He told police he was going to sell it to buy himself some alcohol.

Dodson, 36, of Beckfield Lane, Acomb, pleaded guilty to theft and was fined £25 with a £15 Government imposed victim surcharge and £20 prosecution costs. He has a long list of previous convictions for dishonesty.

His solicitor, Sally Howard, said he was on parole. She told the court Dodson had been a drug addict and one of his prison licence conditions was to pass repeated drug tests. He was gradually reducing his methadone prescription and at times drank heavily to keep himself off heroin in times of stress. But the court heard he was getting help with his drink problem.