A 20-year-old drove around Norfolk with no licence and stole thousands of pounds worth of beauty products from a number of Boots stores.
Florin Zaplan appeared in Lynn Magistrates’ Court on Thursday where he was sentenced for committing the four thefts all on January 22.
He had previously pleaded guilty to the offences.
The court heard from prosecutor Lesla Small, who said that the total amount of goods stolen was valued at £2,969.51.
Zaplan, who had never been in court before, had stolen from Boots in Great Yarmouth and Cromer before moving on to Fakenham and Lynn.
He was eventually arrested in Lynn, where officers also discovered that Zaplan was driving with no licence or insurance.
Zaplan didn’t act alone, he was accompanied by another man who is still wanted by the police.
In mitigation, Jeremy Roberts explained that Zaplan committed the thefts in an attempt to get himself out of thousands of pounds worth of debt.
“Why should he suddenly commit these offences? It’s hard to find the answer to that. He got into debt and at some stage thought this would be the way out of it,” Mr Roberts said.
The solicitor explained that the items stolen have since been recovered from Zaplan’s car.
Magistrates, led by John Hare, said that they considered sending Zaplan into custody.
“It was not casual shoplifting, it was a serious amount of goods,” said Mr Hare.
Zaplan, of New Road in Peterborough, was given a 12 month community order which entails completing 150 hours of unpaid work and completing 10 rehabilitation activity days.
He was also disqualified from driving for six months and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £114 and court costs of £85.