A HEROIN addict who said he was forced to live rough on the streets of Harrogate turned to crime for the first time in 15 years to raise cash, the town's magistrates were told yesterday.

Sarah Tyrer, prosecuting, said Gary Markie tried to walk out of Harrogate's Sunwin House with a DVD player in a carrier bag but dropped it and ran when challenged by a store detective.

Days later the store detective recognised him at the town's railway station and called police to arrest him.

Markie, 39, now said to be living in King's Road, Harrogate, pleaded guilty to theft and was fined £100 and ordered to pay £50 costs.

Mrs Tyrer said Markie had told police he needed to sell the DVD to get money to buy heroin after a period living rough on the streets.

In mitigation, Stuart Berry said Markie had returned to his home town after working on construction sites in the West Country, but fallen out with his sister over rent and had been living a nomadic existence for some time.

After staying out of trouble since 1987, he had succumbed to temptation because he had no money.

He told the court that Markie now hoped to move back in with his sister and find work.