A VULNERABLE former Williton man who fell in with the wrong crowd and started drinking excessively was caught shoplifting twice by police.

Oliver Lee Milsom was spotted by security staff walking out of Marks and Spencer in Frome with a bottle of vodka and a wrap, even though he didn’t like vodka.

A few months earlier he was caught on CCTV helping himself to a black bin liner from the Spar shop in Williton and using it to stash a number of items into before leaving.

The 23-year-old defendant, formerly of Williton but currently living at Frome Foyer, was arrested by police and appeared before Somerset Magistrates at Yeovil where he admitted the theft of groceries worth £35 from the Spar shop on June 24.

He also admitted stealing a bottle of Copper Pot vodka and a wrap valued at £27.85 from Marks and Spencer on August 25.

Prosecutor Emma Lenanton said that on the first occasion Milsom went to the Spar shop at 9pm, took the bin liner and put items from the shelves into it.

On August 25 he was seen leaving Marks and Spencer with a cardboard bottle carrier with items in it that he had not paid for.

“The police were called and found the defendant at his home address where the vodka was recovered but the wrap was not found,” she said.

“During interview Milsom said he did not even remember committing the second offence.”

Defending solicitor Jeffrey Bannister said that Milsom was profoundly deaf and also had an injury to his arm where he was previously attacked while in prison.

“When he was living in the Williton area he was mixing with the wrong crowd, and following his release from prison in May he went back home but has since moved to the Frome Foyer,” he said.

“He is also suffering from depression and was drinking excessively at the time but is now trying to get some help from the Somerset Drugs and Alcohol Service (SDAS).

“While he is at the foyer his mother is trying to encourage him to take courses to help with independent living.

“He cannot explain the Marks and Spencer incident and does not know why he took the vodka because he doesn’t even like it.”

The magistrates gave Milsom a 12 month conditional discharge and ordered him to pay £33 compensation to Spar and £2.85 to Marks and Spencer. No costs or victim surcharge were imposed.