A MAN who, along with his mother, stole £91.32 of groceries from a super market in Droitwich, has walked free from court.

James McKnight, of Bays Meadow, appeared at Worcester Magistrates Court on Friday, August 1, where he admitted stealing food from Morrisons, in Covercroft Road, Droitwich, on Friday, April 4.

The court heard the 26-year-old and his mother, a heroin addict, had gone into the shop at about 1.20pm and filled a trolley with food and left out without paying.

Describing the crime as “an offence of need rather than greed”, David Ollivere, defending, told the court the pair had decided to steal the food as they had no way of paying for it.

McKnight’s mother was handed a six-month community order for her part in the crime on Monday, May 12.

Handing McKnight a 12-month conditional discharge, chair man of the bench Keith Stokes-Smith warned him to stay out of trouble in the future.

“You could have walked away and left her to commit it by herself,“ he said.

“You need to improve your willpower and your behaviour.”