A THIEF has been jailed for drinking fizzy drinks and eating grapes in Tesco Metro.

Bryan Burrows, of Alabare House in Barnard Street, pleaded guilty to theft at Salisbury magistrates’ court on Friday.

He had been seen on CCTV drinking a bottle of Coke he hadn’t paid for in Tesco Metro on July 28, before putting it back on the shelf.

He had also eaten some grapes before leaving the store with other items in his pockets.

Defending, Hita Mashru said Burrows, aged 48, took the items because “his basket was full” and that the incident was “in effect a cry for help” as Burrows was “clearly depressed” and still grieving for his mother who died at the start of the year.

The court heard that Burrows, who has 29 previous theft offences against him, was subject to a suspended sentence order at the time of the theft.

Jailing Burrows for 17 weeks, magistrate Mrs Jeffery said: “To be honest with you, if you commit a crime when you are on a suspended sentence you should go to prison”

He must also pay £115 victim surcharge.