A NORTHWICH couple have been fined for stealing £43 worth of steak from Iceland after police recognised them on CCTV footage.

Shaun Tomlinson and Sharon Mears, both of Spencer Street, appeared before Chester magistrates on Tuesday, January 28, where they pleaded guilty to one count each of theft from a shop.

Prosecuting, Alan Currums told magistrates how the CCTV footage shows the two 55-year-olds entering the store on Witton Street at around 4.30pm on Monday, December, 12, last year.  

They then went to the chilled meats section at the back of the shop, where Mears took several joints of steak, worth a total of £43, and put them in the rucksack worn by her partner Tomlinson.

Mears then picked up some milk and took it to the checkout, which she paid for, but made no attempt to pay for the steak. 

Iceland staff saw the theft on their CCTV cameras and called police officers, who recognised the thieves. When located and questioned, the pair admitted the offence straight away. 

Mr Currums said: “The crown’s case is that they worked together to steal, which they admit.”

“They also admit that they went into the shop with the intention to steal.”

Defending, Richard Sibeon said although Tomlinson has previous convictions for shoplifting, ‘you have to go far back into his record to find any similar offence’.

He explained that the couple use alcohol most days, and had been drinking in the lead up the incident in question, and that they had both been experiencing financial strain in the run up to Christmas.  

Mr Sibeon asked magistrates to consider their full and prompt cooperation with the police, and the fact that the steak had been recovered.

Taking their guilty plea into account, magistrates fined the couple £80 each. They were also ordered to pay Iceland £22 each in compensation to cover the value of the steak, £120 court costs and a £32 victim surcharge.