Sutton fuel thief failed to hide number plate

Phillip Stinson drove his black Clio into the Co-op service station on Huthwaite Road, at 6.40pm, on October 23, last year, and drove off without paying for £30.01 of petrol.

“There was an attempt to disguise the licence with black tape but it was still readable,” said prosecutor Emma Heath-Tilford.

“He gave a no comment response in police interview.”

On January 16, police were called to Preston Avenue, in Alfreton, at 3am, where Stinson was shouting and screaming while intoxicated.

“A female wanted him to leave,” said the prosecutor. “He was unsteady on his feet and a cut on the rear of his head was bleeding.”

Despite being “obstructive and argumentative” Stinson was taken to his mother’s home, but “she said she didn’t want him because of the state he was in.”

He was taken to Chesterfield Royal Hospital for treatment, where he tried to discard a grinder containing a small amount of cannabis.

“He told officers he had drunk a litre of whisky and argued with his partner,” said Mrs Heath-Tilford. “He smoked some cannabis which sent him over the edge.”

Stinson, 43, of Outseats Drive, admitted theft, possession of a Class B drug, and being drunk and disorderly, when he appeared at Mansfield Magistrates Court, on Wednesday.

The possession and drunk and disorderly offences were committed after Stinson received 16 weeks, suspended for 18 months, on November 18, at Chesterfield Magistrates Court.

The court heard it was imposed after he stole an unknown quantity of cosmetics and razor blades from Wilkinson’s, on September 3, £77 of air freshenerrs from B&M Bargains on September 23, and failing to surrender at Chesterfield court, on September 26.

Donna Pursglove, mitigating, said Stinson had a “long history” of heroin use, but was now taking the synthetic substitute Subutex.

She said the father of five had been married for many years, but “his wife had suffered for many years as a result of his behaviour”, and the relationship broke down three years ago.

On Boxing Day, he and his wife decided to “sort out their relationship”, but an argument on January 16 “got out of hand.”

“Clearly he is hanging by a thread,” said Mrs Pursglove. “If he commits any more offences I think the next bench would have to activate the sentence.”

Stinson was given eight weeks in prison, suspended for 12 months.

He was ordered to pay compensation of £30.01 and £170 court costs, a government surcharge of £115.