A MAN who forced his way into a Lidl and stole alcohol and tools was told to ‘sort his life out’ by magistrates.

Ewan Briggs, 21, appeared at Weymouth Magistrates' Court where he admitted to two counts of burglary at a Lidl in Gillingham.

Magistrates heard that on two separate occasions, CCTV footage captured Briggs forcing entry through the sliding doors and then proceeded to ‘take cases of alcohol and power tools.’

Robert Salame, prosecuting, said that some of the items that were stolen included two electric saws, two cordless drills, as well as two bottles of wine, amounting to an overall cost of £260.91.

Lee Christmas, mitigating said that Briggs, of Abbotsbury Road, Weymouth, was already serving an 18-month community order following an attempted robbery which ‘he was bullied into it to settle a drug debt.’

Briggs has a history of alcohol and substance abuse and was a patient at St Ann’s psychiatric hospital last year following a case of drug induced psychosis.

Probation officer, Olivia Fletcher explained that Briggs has recently been moved into emergency housing which is an ‘important step in his recovery’ and that Briggs had said that he ‘felt ashamed and needed to pull his finger out.’

Chair of the magistrates’ bench, Louise Dutton said: “We came very, very close to giving you a suspended prison sentence - Carry on with your community order and sort your life out.”

Briggs was sentenced to a conditional discharge for two years and will have to pay £260.91 compensation to Lidl and will also have to continue with his community order.