AN ISLE of Wight thief with a taste for cream liqueur stole two boxes of Baileys after making off with a coat, an Isle of Wight court was told.  

Andrew Taylor, of Barton Road, Newport, appeared for sentencing at the Isle of Wight Magistrates' Court on Friday (17).

The 42-year-old admitted three counts of theft, in Newport, on November 23 of last year, at a hearing on January 20.

That morning, Taylor entered New Look, selected a coat worth £54.99 and immediately left with the item under his arm. He was in the store a matter of minutes, said Liz Miller, prosecuting. 

A member of the public alerted New Look staff about the theft.

That afternoon, Taylor entered Morrisons supermarket and was caught on CCTV making off with a case of Baileys worth £77.94.

A while later, a police officer saw Taylor drinking Baileys — his second from the case — and believed he had stolen it.

After the officer made a check with Morrisons, who confirmed the Baileys had been stolen, Taylor returned to Morrisons at around 6pm and stole an identical second box of Baileys, said Miss Miller.

The Baileys was not recovered.

At his previous hearing, Jim Osborne, defending, said Taylor was alcohol dependant and had been homeless at the time of the offence — but his situation had improved significantly after he had secured accommodation.

Taylor was handed a year's probation — to include nine months' alcohol treatment — together with a £40 fine, £85 costs and a £114 surcharge, with an order to pay £158.95 compensation.