A man with over 300 previous convictions has been jailed for stealing Manuka honey worth £269 from Holland & Barrett at the Rushmere Shopping Centre in Craigavon.
Patrick Bell, formerly with an address listed as Woodburn Crescent in Dungannon but now given as Mullaghtinny Park in Clogher, committed the offence on August 4, 2024.
The 44-year-old appeared at Craigavon Magistrates’ Court via video link from prison.
The court was told the honey was not recovered.
The defendant had 336 previous convictions.
A defence lawyer said the defendant has “struggled with addiction, both alcohol and drugs, since the age of 14” and had first “entered incarceration” at a “training school”.
He said the defendant took the honey to sell on to get money to buy drugs.
Deputy District Judge Trevor Browne said the defendant “clearly knew the high re-sale value for Manuka honey” which the judge said was “prohibitively expensive”.
The judge said the defendant had an “absolutely appalling” record and jailed him for four months.
