A teenage student who left a backpack on a bench with a laptop inside had it stolen by a careless thief who mistook it “for his meds”.

Brendan O’Brien told a court he thought the bag contained medication left by a friend after he swiped the bag and its contents at the Thamesgate Shopping Centre in Gravesend in April.

Magistrates heard the laptop theft had a huge impact on the student who had been studying for their A-levels at the time.

The 24-year-old was later charged with theft but then failed to show up for his court appearance because he had no money to get to the hearing.

O’Brien, of Wrotham Road, Gravesend, was arrested on a warrant and appeared before magistrates in Sevenoaks on August 23, where he admitted a charge of theft and one of failing to surrender to custody.

James Nichols, prosecuting, told the court the laptop and backpack were stolen on April 24.

He added: “The bag belonged to a 17-year-old student and it was left on a bench at the Thamesgate Shopping Centre and contained a number of items and a laptop.”

Mr Nichols also said the student had provided an impact statement which said they found it hard to study without their computer and this had had an effect on their A-level results.

Tahair Saeed, defending, told the court his client, who has difficulties with directions, was aware of his previous court date but had no funds to get to the hearing after being bailed from North Kent Police Station in Northfleet and had tried to contact the court in Sevenoaks.

He added: “He was interviewed at the police station and had an appropriate adult with him.

“He has a friend who was going to help him with some medication to help him sleep and he told him he had left it in a bag on the bench at the Thamesgate centre as he had to be somewhere else.

“He thought the bag was for his meds and it wasn’t the bag and when he realised he discarded it in an alleyway.

“He’s 24-years-old and is on Universal Credit he has limited work capability, he also has a social worker as he has autism, ADHD and learning difficulties.

“He’s in supported accommodation now as his mum drinks alcohol and when she drinks she loses it, he drinks too, but is now getting help.”

Magistrates said it was a petty offence but it had had a major impact on the victim and as a result, they said they could deal with the matter via a compensation order.

O’Brien was ordered to pay £750 compensation to the student but wasn’t ordered to pay any court costs.

He was also fined £50 for the failure to surrender to custody charge, but as he’d been picked up on a warrant and spent time in cells overnight before his hearing, he wouldn’t have to pay the fine as the court would mark it as time spent in custody.

O’Brien will pay what he owes at a rate of £20 a month and as he’s on benefits and it will take him just over three years to pay the amount.