A THIEF with 51p in his pocket tried to steal goods worth £255 from Tesco.

Recovering heroin addict Jason Martin, 36, was seen acting suspiciously in the retail giant’s Whitstable store before leaving without paying for a trolley full of goods.

Martin admitted theft when he appeared at Canterbury Magistrates’ Court.

Prosecutor Jim Harvey said: “This is a man with a protracted history of offences of various types interspersed with shoplifting.

“He only had 51p on him when he was arrested.”

Mr Harvey added: “Last year he received two fixed penalty notices, which may have been inappropriately administered given his previous offending.”

Chris Wray, for the defence, told the court Martin became a heroin addict while he was in prison and committed many of the shop thefts to get money to pay for the drug.

The solicitor said: “His previous convictions show a pattern of offending consistent with someone who has struggled with heavy heroin addiction.

“But he has not been before a court since 2005. This is an achievement for him.”

Mr Wray went on: “What happened on this occasion is that someone from his past spotted him and over a period of time has been telling him that he owes him money in relation to drugs supplied several years ago.

“Unfortunately, he was put under pressure and went back to doing the one thing that sustained him throughout his 10-year addiction to drugs – shoplifting.

“He realises what he did was wrong.”

Magistrates adjourned the case until March 17 when Martin will return to the court for sentence,

He had been living in the Wincheap area of Canterbury when he committed the theft, but was granted bail by the court to an address in Winnipeg Road, Dover.