A MAN who stole two bunches of flowers to give to his ill mother pleaded guilty to theft at Darlington Magistrates' Court yesterday.
Wayne Lawrence Davies, 21, of Aldbrough Walk, Darlington, was riding his bike with a friend when he passed the One Stop Shop, in Yarm Road.
He reached out and grabbed two bunches of flowers, worth £9.98 in total, and made off.
A police officer was passing and saw the incident, which happened on Thursday, September 28. Davies was arrested soon after.
Graham Hunsley, mitigating, said: "This epitomises a spur-of-the-moment offence.
"His mum hadn't been well, so he took the flowers from outside the shop, intending to make off with them.
"He knows it was wrong and knows his mum wouldn't have welcomed them if she had known the origin of them."
Davies was told to pay £9.98 compensation, and £30 costs.
Bench chairwoman Aileen Little said: "This offence was stupid and expensive. It would have been cheaper to buy the flowers, and your mum would have been much more delighted with them."
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