A man has admitted to stealing a 55-inch television from a Harrogate supermarket.

Jonathan Nettleton, 37, appeared at Harrogate Magistrates Court on Thursday (May 21) when he admitted two counts of shop theft.

Prosecutor Anthony Farrell told the court Nettleton entered Asda on Bower Road just after 9.20am on April 1 this year.

He picked up a Polaroid 55-inch TV worth £254 and left the supermarket without paying for it.

Nettleton was identified through CCTV footage.

The defendant, who gave the court an address on Bower Street in Harrogate, then targeted The Co-op on Jennyfield Drive on April 28.

On that occasion, Nettleton selected two bottles of Tequila Rose valued at £26.50 and left without paying, the court heard.

Mr Farrell said Nettleton “made off in a car” at the time, but it was swiftly stopped by police.

Officers found the stolen Tequila Rose bottles inside the car and recovered them.

'Spiralled out of control'

Sean Wilson, defending, told the court Nettleton has 21 convictions for 43 offences on his record.

He said, however, the majority of Nettleton’s offending relates to driving and he hasn’t been before the court for theft for eight years.

Mr Wilson said Nettleton worked as a scaffolder until January of this year, when he “spiralled out of control” due to relationship issues.

“He became more dependent on crack-cocaine”, Mr Wilson added.

The court heard the defendant has been seeing addiction recovery service North Yorkshire Horizons voluntarily, and Mr Wilson called Nettleton’s offending “opportunistic”.

The magistrates handed Nettleton a 12-month community order, during which he must complete 40 hours of unpaid work and a six-month drug rehabilitation programme.

He was ordered to pay £254 in compensation to Asda, but was not ordered to pay prosecution costs or a victim surcharge.