A Carlisle man who stole his dad’s £6,000 luxury watch in a desperate bid to pay off a drug debt as his life spiralled has told a court of his regret and a desire to get help.
Joseph Brown, 39, admitted theft and fraud charges after the Breitling timepiece was seen to be missing from a safe at his parents’ city home in December.
After being confronted, Brown dug himself deeper into trouble by asking for £50 cash from his dad, who was conned into handing it over in the false belief it could retrieved from a pawn shop.
“The watch is still outstanding,” prosecutor Graeme Tindall told Carlisle Magistrates’ Court of the missing property today as Brown was sentenced for the two offences.
A probation officer who had interviewed Brown told the district judge, John Temperley, that the defendant had been struggling with an accumulation of major events at the time which had impacted on his judgement.
“He shows regret and shame for his behaviour,” said the officer, “and his remorse appears to be genuine.”
Brown, who gave a temporary Carlisle hostel address to the court, spoke about the breakdown of a 13-year relationship with his partner and him taking a lot of drugs, namely cocaine and Valium.
“I fell into some debt with the wrong kinds of people, got desperate,” he said. “I never had the funds to get (the watch) back. It went ‘down the road’, as they say, unfortunately for me.”
The father-of-four, a qualified joiner, said he was due to start working for his father later this month, and was committed to repaying him for the theft from his wages. “I need to start sorting myself out,” Brown admitted.
District Judge Temperley imposed a 12-month community order. This comprises 30 days’ work with the probation service, a three-month drug rehabilitation requirement and 200 hours’ community service. “You need to make sure you knuckle down,” the judge told him.
