A former chef was battling a drug addiction when he stole food in a binbag and sirloin steaks, a court heard. Christopher Brown, 35, of London Road, Nottingham, was previously an agency-employed chef at The Orchard Hotel, set in 330 acres of the University of Nottingham's landscaped parkland, but he was let go.
Due to staff shortages, he was employed as a kitchen porter, and stole from the hotel when he put food items in a binbag and placed the bag near a skip. Nottingham Crown Court heard he was confronted by the executive chef on October 23 last year.
Brown claimed he thought the food was out-of-date and was disposing of the items - but then admitted he was stealing them - leading to his dismissal. But he returned there to speak to the manager on November 2, 2021.
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He said he wanted to view the work rota, then helped himself to steak from the freezer. Brown had been busy stealing from other businesses too. They were:
- Dunelm Nottingham, part of the Portal Retail Park on Queens Drive. On October 27 last year he stole a pack of red bed sheets worth £60.
- Wilko. 170-176 South Church Drive, Clifton, where he stole items from the DIY section on January 28 this year
- Wilko. 170-176 South Church Drive, Clifton, where he took £10 worth of detergent on February 24 this year
Brown had previous convictions for fraud, possessing heroin and cocaine. Bianca Brasoveanu, mitigating on Thursday (November 24), said her client was a bright and intelligent man who cannot find the sense to shift his addiction.
He has been remanded into police custody for 26 days after he was homeless - a factor which had fuelled his drug consumption. "It is clear he needs some form of assistance and direction," she said of Brown, who is waiting for a date for therapy and is taking Methadone.
He received credit for pleas of guilty to five theft charges, receiving an overall sentence of three months. But five months in prison consecutively was added after he breached a suspended sentence.
Inspector Karl Thomas, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “Brown is a prolific offender who clearly has no regard whatsoever for his victims or the distress his actions caused. I’m pleased he's now been given time behind bars to think of the crimes he's committed.
“We continue to work closely with local businesses and provide advice to protect them from falling victim to theft. We will always take firm action to bring anyone who behaves in such an appalling manner to justice and we will use all available resources to seek justice for victims.”
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