A Magistrate confronted a homeless thief in court and asked: "Would you steal my wife too?'' Fifty-year-old George Palmer pleaded guilty to stealing 20 bottles of Elephant beer, 20 bottles of Heineken beer, 18 bottles of Guinness, nine bottles of Bacardi Breezers and seven bottles of white Zinfandel wine.

Magistrate Edward King gave Palmer a suspended six-month prison sentence after hearing security guards had spotted him walking out of the BAA club grounds with the bottles at 1.50 a.m. on Monday.

Prosecutor Sgt. Phil Taylor said Palmer sneaked into the club to take a shower in the gymnasium changing rooms.

Palmer told Police he saw the boxes of alcohol on a bench and decided to take them.

But Mr. King turned to the defendant and said: "You were going to have a party? "You had a shower too -- you even stole the water. Would you come to my house, see the door open and decide to take all of my ties? "If you came in my house and my wife was home in the bed, do you think you could take her just because I wasn't there?'' Palmer, wearing a green jacket in court, replied: "The temptation is there.'' Sgt. Taylor had told the hearing that security guards opposite the club on Serpentine Road called Police after watching Palmer steal the alcohol.

He added: "They saw the defendant walking back and forth from the BAA yard carrying several boxes.

"Police stopped him on the street and he was arrested on suspicion of stealing.'' He said the alcohol was worth $243.

The court was also told Palmer was last released from prison on December 9.

Mr. King, facing the defendant, handed Palmer a six-month jail sentence suspended for two years.

He added: "They must have let you out because Father Christmas was coming.

"I'm going to try to stop you committing offences and hopefully save the taxpayer some money. Now you have got time to stop drinking, stop stealing and stop breaking the law.''