A Ballasalla man has been handed a suspended sentence for stealing more than £600 worth of goods from a Douglas sports shop.

Craig Phillip Teare filled his bag with hoodies and jogging pants before leaving Sports Direct in Strand Street without paying.

He said that he intended to sell the items to buy drugs.

Deputy High Bailiff Rachael Braidwood sentenced the 38-year-old to 14 weeks' custody, suspended for two years, and also made him the subject of a two year suspended sentence supervision order.

We previously reported that Teare went to the Strand Shopping Centre store on February 4, just after 1pm.

The store manager said that he was seen wandering around the store and putting a number of items into his bag.

Teare then walked out without paying, and nine damaged security tags were found in a rucksack in the shop.

CCTV footage was viewed and showed the defendant shoplifting.

Police officers went to his home, at Crossag Close, and arrested him.

He said: ‘I got spotted didn’t I?  I knew I got spotted.

‘When I left this morning all I had was that black bag and a drill.’

The defendant was taken to police headquarters and interviewed.

He answered ‘no comment’ to most questions, but said that he had a receipt for a drill that was found in his possession.

The court heard that the total value of the stolen goods was £660.92, but that some of the items had been recovered in a resaleable state, so only £145.97 was sought in compensation.

Teare was already subject to a two year probation order, imposed in March 2023 for benefit fraud.

Defence advocate Paul Rodgers asked the court to follow the recommendation of a probation report, which suggested a suspended sentence as the most appropriate sentence.

The advocate said: ‘Mr Teare keeps on coming before the court for relatively minor offences.

‘It’s something he’s not proud of.  The most recent is a low-level theft.

‘He committed the offence when he had just managed to secure a good job.

‘The issue seems to be something in terms of his thinking patterns rather than necessity.’

Mr Rodgers said that Teare had now managed to get another job.

He said that the defendant was also going to work on his issues with the Drug and Alcohol Team.

Deputy High Bailiff Ms Braidwood said: ‘This was a blatant theft.

‘You went to the store with the intention to steal, intending to sell the items to fund drugs.

‘It seems the root cause of your reoffending is your unwillingness to engage with the Drug and Alcohol Team.

‘But Mr Rodgers has reassured me you are keen to re-engage.’

The Deputy High Bailiff also revoked Teare's previous probation order and replaced it with 14 weeks' custody, suspended for two years, but this will run concurrently to his latest sentence.

He was also ordered to pay £145.97 compensation to Sports Direct and £125 prosecution costs, and will pay both amounts at a rate of £20 per week.