A career criminal was warned by a Magistrate that he would have lost both his hands and his feet in another jurisdiction with his 22-page-long conviction record for dishonesty offences.Randolph Simons pleaded guilty in Magistrates’ Court to stealing two packets of Steakums, toothpaste, two chocolate bars and one bottle of Act shower gel from the Somerset MarketPlace, saying: “Guilty with an explanation.”Crown counsel Susan Mulligan said the 47-year-old man was seen between 5pm and 6pm on November 17 standing in an aisle of the supermarket putting a box of toothpaste in his knapsack.“The manager followed him outside,” said Ms Mulligan. “He asked the defendant if he had anything in his bag.The defendant denied that he did, and when he asked him again, he responded: “I just have Act shower gel.”He denied that he had anything else, and after a short struggle the store manager discovered that he did in fact have a total of $41 worth of items.The police were called and he was formally charged with the offence of stealing the items.Mr Simons told Senior Magistrate Archibald Warner: “I went to MarketPlace to see a lady I was cleaning some windows for. It’s really hard out there — I’ve spent six months looking for jobs. I didn’t see her — I was looking around the aisles, and I was tempted, sir. I took some staples. As I was walking out of the shop, the manager said: ‘Just give us the stuff, and we’ll give you a warning — just don’t enter into the MarketPlace’.“I try to grow from my mistakes,” he said. “The people said they weren’t going to press charges — (they said) just don’t go into the shop.”But Mr Warner said: “You have 22 pages of previous convictions — you have no intention of stopping stealing people’s stuff.”Looking through Mr Simons’ record, he noted that on January 9, the defendant had been convicted of stealing deodorant and body gel. “I don’t know if you have a fetish for bathing? And it’s from the same MarketPlace.“This is a simple matter — you’re a thief and can’t stop stealing.”Mr Simons replied: “My record keeps hounding me,” to which Mr. Warner responded: “Who’s going to give you a job if you keep stealing from people?”Duty counsel Susan Moore Williams told Mr Warner: “I do have here, and can put up for your view, a professionally done resume and about 15 applications for jobs. He’s making an effort to seek employment.”Mr Warner reiterated: “No one is going to give him a job because of his record. But,” he warned Mr Simons: “if you can’t get a job, you can’t go to stealing.”Ms Moore Williams said that Financial Services had said they were willing to help Mr Simons get on his feet, and the Department of Labour and Training was also willing to assist him. “With appropriate conditions, he may be able to get on a better path,” she said.Mr Warner pointed to multiple periods of probation on his record. “We see it all the time, these career criminals. In another jurisdiction he would have lost both of his hands and feet by now.”He ordered a social inquiry report, and bailed the defendant at $2,000 and one surety — along with the condition that he stay away from MarketPlace stores. The defendant, who lives on Kitchener Close in Somerset with his mother and other family members, is to return to court on December 19 for sentencing.“If you don’t go (to the MarketPlace), then you can’t steal anything,” said Mr Warner.