A Hamilton Parish man was this morning fined $450 for stealing alcohol from a grocer, although he said he had little recollection of the incident.

Mitchell Outerbridge, 56, pleaded guilty to stealing two bottles of Chivas Regal scotch from the Shelly Bay MarketPlace in an incident on March 21 last year.

The court heard that at around 3.40pm that day Outerbridge and a woman entered the store, collected several items, and paid for them at the check out.

However after buying the groceries, Outerbridge grabbed two bottles of the alcohol from the shelf and the pair walked out without paying.

A staff member followed them as they walked towards the street, telling them they needed to pay for the alcohol.

Outerbridge then handed one of the bottles to his female friend, picked up a brick, and told the employee: “If you come any closer I will split your head open.”

When Outerbridge was later arrested for the incident, he told police he couldn’t remember the day of the incident, but said if the person on CCTV camera appeared to be him he would admit the offence.

Outerbridge denied the offence during an initial appearance in the Magistrates’ Court, but pled guilty this morning after being brought before the courts on a warrant having missed his trial date.

He apologised for his absence, saying the female friend he was with on the day of the incident was dying when the trial date had been scheduled.

“I don’t recollect the incident in full, which is why I pled not guilty,” he explained. “But being that she has passed on now, I will take the responsibility.”

Magistrate Tyrone Chin fined Outerbridge $450 for the offence, noting that it was around triple the estimated cost of the stolen scotch.

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