A CHARD man who went to buy alcohol at 9am helped himself to a bottle of champagne after being told it was too early for him to be served it.

Jake Field, 22, of Dwelly Close, was caught on CCTV hiding the bottle up his jumper but it wasn’t until he returned two weeks later and repeated the offence that he was eventually identified by police, Somerset Magistrates were told.

Field admitted to stealing a bottle of Codorniu Brut worth £9.99 belonging to the One-Stop Shop in Chard on February 21. He also admitted stealing a second bottle from the same store on March 4.

Paul Ricketts, prosecuting, said on the first occasion a member of staff was at the shop at 9am when he noted a bottle of champagne was missing from a display so he checked the CCTV.

He said: "It showed that at 6am the defendant entered the store and selected the bottle of alcohol, concealed it under his jumper and left.

"On March 4 the same member of staff was checking CCTV when it showed the defendant entering the shop again at 6.45pm with another male and he selected another bottle of the same brand of champagne. Again he hid it under his jumper and when the police attended at his home address he was arrested and made full admissions during interview.”

Defending solicitor Sam Morton said they were “incredibly stupid” offences saying that on the first occasion Field had been drinking with a friend and wanted to buy some more alcohol.

“He could not be served it at that time of the morning, so took it, and he then repeated this a few weeks later and said he was expecting to be arrested in due course, which is what took place.”

The court was told Field did not have any issues with drink or drugs but “lacked structure in his life”.

The magistrates fined him £80 and ordered him to pay £19.98 compensation to the One-Stop Shop along with £50 towards costs and a £20 victim surcharge.