A man bit off more than he could chew after he tried to use a fake price tag to buy an expensive steak for less than half its price.

Now Naeem Alom, 30, will have to adhere to a year-long conditional discharge after he admitted the attempted theft from Shelly Bay MarketPlace.

Magistrates’ Court heard yesterday that Alom, of Pembroke, ordered a $75 prime rib steak at the supermarket’s meat counter.

But he removed the price tag and replaced it with a $28 sticker that he took from a package of Angus beef.

Alom paid $28 for the steak alongside several other items at the checkout, but the store manager stopped him in the car park as he attempted to leave.

The manager called police and Alom confessed.

He told officers: “I’m sorry – it was a stupid mistake”.

Alom offered to pay the full price but was arrested and charged with the theft.

The incident happened on March 6.

Javone Rogers, for the prosecution, told the court that the offence was not an act of desperation and said that Alom should be fined.

But Archibald Warner, Alom’s defence counsel, told magistrate Khamisi Tokunbo that the incident was “not as straightforward as my learned friend has suggested”.

He asked for a social inquiry report and a conditional discharge, but Mr Tokunbo said reports were not needed.

Mr Tokunbo warned Alom to stay out of trouble for 12 months or risk being fined for the offence.

He added: “I like to think he’s humiliated himself enough going through the criminal and legal process and that a conditional discharge is appropriate.

He told Alom: “You should be embarrassed and humiliated by this.”

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