A THIEF has walked free from court following a stealing spree in supermarkets across Warrington.

Stephen Brighouse helped himself to bottles of spirits and detergent during a week-long shoplifting binge.

The 46-year-old, of Gloucester Street in St Helens, appeared before Chester Magistrates’ Court on Thursday to be sentenced after admitting four charges of theft and one of attempted theft.

But he was spared a jail sentence by magistrates.

Alan Currums, prosecuting, explained how the offences began on June 8 this year, when Brighouse stole wine to the value of £34.10 from the Morrisons Daily convenience store on Grasmere Avenue in Orford.

Three days later, he returned to the town, again targeting the Morrisons Daily store to steal six bottles of Baileys Irish Cream worth a combined £99.

The following day, Brighouse entered the Tesco Extra supermarket on Winwick Road and helped himself to eight bottles of Jack Daniels Whiskey worth £256 in total.

A day later, the defendant was back in town, visiting Tesco Express on Orford Green to pinch eight bottles of Persil detergent to the value of £64.

The spree ended that same day with the attempted theft of nine bottles of vodka to the value of £189 from Tesco Extra on Winwick Road.

Magistrates took Brighouse’s guilty pleas into account and sentenced him to a conditional discharge for 24 months.

He was also ordered to pay compensation of £453.10.