A Pembroke man today admitted stealing more than $90 worth of shrimp from a grocery store.

Franklin Smith, 53, of Dunscombe Lane, pleaded guilty in Magistrates’ Court this morning to stealing three bags of frozen, uncooked shrimp from the MarketPlace on Church Street, Pembroke, on June 27 last year.

Prosecutor Nicole Smith said the total value of the shrimp was $92.92.

Smith was seen by the store manager carrying a non-MarketPlace brown paper bag containing the shrimp at about 7pm on the day in question.

The manager watched Smith as he paid for other items at the cashier, but never paid for the shrimp, eventually following Smith out of the store and confronting him.

A struggle ensued and police eventually attended the scene, where they found the stolen shrimp in the brown paper bag Smith had been carrying. He told police: “I told the cashier I had them. It’s not my fault she didn’t take them out.”

Addressing Senior Magistrate Archibald Warner, Mr Smith said: “I had been drinking that day. I wasn’t trying to steal but I’ll plead guilty to get it over with.”

Mr Warner fined Smith $500 for the offence.