A bungling shoplifter was easily caught by police after being spotted wearing a stolen coat with the price tag still sticking out of the hood.
Paul Raymond, 41, pinched the £299 jacket from TK Maxx in Worcester city centre after using tinfoil to trick the security alarm on March 8 this year.
A court heard the hapless crook was then spotted by a police officer leaving the store with the price tag attached to the hood and a security cable sticking out.
Raymond was promptly arrested and hauled before Worcester Magistrates Court where he admitted the theft last week.
He was fined £120 and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £34 and a contribution to costs of £90.
Eleanor Peart, prosecuting, said officers were on uniformed patrol when they saw the "known shoplifter" leaving TK Maxx "wearing a large new jacket".
Miss Peart said: "The price tag was still attached to the hood and the security cable was visible."
Raymond, of Tolladine, Worcester, was arrested and the jacket was returned to the shop in a saleable condition.
In police interview, Raymond said he recognised the coat to be a high-value item.
Miss Peart added: "He said he placed tinfoil around the security tag in order to prevent it activating the security alarm.
"He would have sold the jacket for £120 to fund his drug habit.
"He has numerous convictions for shop theft."
JPs were told the drug addict had already racked up £6,493 in court fines for 94 previous offences and had paid back £2,728 so far.
Barry Newton, defending, admitted his client had "an unenviable record" but said he had only one theft offence of theft in 2020 and one of attempted theft last year.
He explained that Raymond had 'a long-standing drug addiction' and added: "His demon is class A drugs".
Another Worcester-based drug addict who stole a toy reindeer to feed his heroin habit was let off last month because his wife cheated on him three times.
Serial shoplifter Mark Spragg from Worcester stole a £60 electric reindeer from Wilko and £195 worth of cosmetics from Boots after his marriage fell apart.
The 40-year old was caught and admitted stealing the items between December 16 and February 1 this year, after the painful split, stop him leading a "productive" life, the court heard.
Worcester Magistrates' Court heard Spragg had not touched drugs for three years - but fell off the wagon when his wife cheated on him.
Mark Sheward, defending, said: "For some years he has been a user of Class A drugs.
