A homeless man was fined $300 in Magistrates' Court after he admitted stealing $13.42 of food.

Anthony DeCosta, 29, pleaded guilty to stealing, saying he was hungry and didn't have any money.

Crown counsel Kirsty-Ann Kiellor said DeCosta entered the MarketPlace on Church Street and ordered hot food, including rice, onion, spring rolls and chicken wings.

A manager saw him place the food in a shoulder bag and take the elevator to the underground parking lot without paying.

The manager followed him to the parking lot and confronted him about the stolen food. DeCosta said he stole the food because he was hungry and had no money.

Yesterday he told the court he had been going through hard times and had been having difficulty finding work.

Duty counsel Leo Mills argued that DeCosta could have been stealing to survive.

Senior Magistrate Archibald Warner said: "If he was that hungry, he could go to the Salvation Army and get food.

"I'm not saying he wasn't homeless, and I'm not saying he's not down on his luck. But if people in that position believe they can do what they want, this place would be in real trouble."

After hearing that DeCosta is supposed to start a new job on Monday, Mr Warner decided to issue a $300 fine, saying: "This $14 dollars of food is going to cost you $300. Does that sound like a good investment?"