Antrim chicken thief ordered to do community service
An Antrim man stole chicken and then ‘shoulder-barged’ a shop worker at Lidl in the town.
Paul Teggart (55), of Islay Street in Antrim, was later spotted by police and he became disorderly and kicked an officer in the chest.
The defendant appeared at Antrim Magistrates' Court, sitting in Ballymena, and admitted charges of theft, assault, disorderly behaviour and assault on police in relation to May 7 this year.
A prosecutor said the defendant had stolen chicken and was "verbally abusive".
He shoulder-barged a member of staff who tried to stop him, causing the employee to stumble back and hit a glass panel.
The defendant then pushed the male employee with both hands causing him to fall back into a door.
The court was told the shop worker, aged in his early 20s, received a bruise on his arm and tenderness to his back.
When police spotted the defendant at Stiles Way in Antrim he had several packets of chicken breast in a Lidl bag.
A defence barrister said that given his level of intoxication the defendant had no memory of the incidents but he wished to apologise.
District Judge Nigel Broderick said it was a "bad case".
Added the judge: "This would have been a very upsetting experience for a young shop assistant just doing their job and some drunk individual like you comes in and starts to try and steal things and assault him".
The defendant had a record. He was ordered to do 100 hours of community service and was put on probation for a year.