SHOPLIFTER Rikki Gibbs helped himself to a carton of 12 beers at a Hamble shop and then walked out without paying.
A shop assistant took the registration number of the car he got into and called the police.
But 15 minutes later Gibbs came back with the unopened carton and apologised to a sales assistant, saying: “It was a stupid thing to do and I’m sorry.”
Gibbs, 20, of Harefield Road, Southampton, admitted theft from the Co-op.
The city crown court heard he was on a suspended sentence at the time and defence lawyer Stephen Parish said that was the reason he returned.
“He didn’t want to go to prison so he brought the items back. It is extremely unusual for a thief to return goods before he is caught.”
Judge Derwin Hope said in the circumstances it would be unjust to activate the suspended sentence and gave Gibbs a two year conditional discharge.
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