Court told man stole to pay rent after benefits were stopped following ‘fake allegation’

A Spalding man who was the victim of a maliciously false tip-off turned to shoplifting when his benefits were stopped, a court was told.

Andrew Bullivant, 32, appeared before Boston Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday to plead guilty to theft from Tesco in Holbeach and Lidl’s Winsover Road branch in Spalding.

On March 17 he twice went into Tesco to steal goods worth about £100.

And on April 11 he took meat and cheese worth about £120 from the Lidl store.

The court heard that Bullivant’s last theft offence was a burglary matter in 2012.

In mitigation, Phillipa Chatterton said the recent offences were “straightforward, unsophisticated” thefts.

She told the court a claim had been lodged that her client wasn’t entitled to the benefits he was receiving.

“Because of this false allegation, they suspended his benefits while they investigated,” she added. “He stole to sell the goods and pay the rent so he could keep his accommodation.

“It was found to be a malicious call and there’s now a marker on that person to ensure it doesn’t happen again.”

Bullivant, of Johnson Avenue, was fined £40 for each offence and ordered to pay compensation of £100 to Tesco and £120 to Lidl, as well as £32 victim surcharge.