Chaotic life to blame for string of offences

10:45am Wednesday 12th September 2007

By Echo Reporter

A MAN who stole petrol so he could travel to his mother's funeral has been dealt with by Weymouth Magistrates.

David Frederick Cant, 34, of Whitfield Road, Dorchester, admitted a string of offences on a variety of dates including theft, drink-driving, having no licence, insurance or test certificate and burglary at an earlier hearing adjourned for reports.

Elizabeth Valera, prosecuting, said that on April 21, 2006, Cant went to Olds, Dorchester, put £20-worth of petrol in his car and later drove off without paying, claiming he had forgotten his wallet.

When he was arrested the next day he said he had needed the fuel to get to his mother's funeral in Cornwall.

On September 9, 2006, he stole two bottles of champagne worth £17.99 each from Poundbury Village Stores in Dorchester and was arrested after being identified from CCTV footage.

A drink-drive offence followed on November 14, when Cant was stopped in Poole in a Peugeot 205. Tests later showed he had 85mg of alcohol in 100ml of his breath. The legal limit is 80mg.

Miss Valera added that various traffic offences including having no driving licence, insurance or test certificate were committed by Cant on August 19, 2006, and again on November 8 before he stole 13 packs of children's underwear from Woolworth, Dorchester, on December 9. He threw some packs at security staff when challenged, ran off and was arrested.

On April 25, 2007, he stole whisky and brandy worth £233.88 from Marks & Spencer, Dorchester. He was arrested on wasteground and later claimed only four bottles of whisky had been stolen.

Cant was identified as being responsible for his next crime through tests on fresh blood found on the windowsill of a unit at Dorchester's Poundbury Industrial Estate, where a window had been smashed. Damage was put at £500 and £600-worth of drills were stolen, Cant later denying that he even knew where the industrial estate was.

Ian Brazier, defending, said that Cant admitted all the offences and had already spent 42 days in custody.

He added: "Substance abuse and the word 'chaos' run loud and clear through these matters."

Mr Brazier said that Cant's growing health problems in recent years had focused his efforts more on getting away from drugs.

He said: "Much of what he has stolen has been to pay for drugs or to pay off drug debts. His is a lifestyle which requires some support from authorities."

Cant was given an 18-month supervision order with a six-month drug rehabilitation order for offences including theft and burglary.

He was disqualified from driving for a year from November 14, 2006, for drink-driving and he was also disqualified from driving for a year from September 10, 2007, for insurance offences. Magistrates ordered no separate penalty for having no test certificate and no driving licence and said they were making no order for compensation.