Court reports have been ordered on a homeless man who admitted stealing meat from a Sandys grocer.

Lester Johnson, 54, pleaded guilty to stealing chourico sausage, pork loin and canned ham from the Sandys MarketPlace in an incident on Tuesday.

The court heard that, at around 7.35pm, a store employee saw Johnson with two packages of meat near the meat counter. A short while later, in another aisle, she watched him place the packages in his trousers.

Johnson then attempted to leave the store, walking past the cash registers before being confronted by staff. When stopped, he pulled the canned ham from his pocket, asking the employees not to call the police.

The court heard that Johnson readily admitted the offences during a subsequent police interview, and that he had been battling personal issues with drugs and alcohol.

Magistrate Khamisi Tokunbo ordered a Social Inquiry Report and a drug assessment on Johnson, bailing him to Drug Treatment Court. The matter is set to return to court for sentencing in April.

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