Thief with penchant for codfish fined

Craig Simmons, 52, walked into Arnold’s Market on July 6 and appeared to be nervous.

The court heard Simmons tried to avoid staff members and went over to the meat section, then left.

A customer then told the manager that Simmons picked up two packages of codfish before he left the store without paying.

The court heard Simmons came back a short while later and the manager saw him pick up two packs of Anchor Butter. The defendant then walked out of the store.

The manager followed and stopped Simmons and asked him about the packages.

Crown counsel Carrington Mahoney told the court Simmons apologised and asked the manager not to call the police. Simmons then left the scene in a Kia Picanto.

The manager called the police and wrote down the license plate number. Police were able to find Simmons’s home based on the address registered to the car.

When they went to the Pembroke home, they spoke with Simmons’s mother who told them he took her keys and returned to the house with the codfish and butter.

Simmons attended the police station with his lawyer where he refused to participate in an interview but admitted stealing the fish and butter.

The total value of the items was $31.36.

The court heard he has a previous conviction for stealing codfish in 2011.

Philip Perinchief, lawyer for Simmons said his client is looking for work.

“My client has a penchant for codfish but what he thought he was doing was supplying his home with codfish.”

But Senior Magistrate Archibald Warner said: “This is not a case where he’s hungry. This is a case where as you say, he has a penchant for codfish.

“Why does he think he can take codfish and butter?”

Simmons apologise to Arnold’s and the court for the incident.

 Mr Simmons is unemployed and not to be confused with the Bermuda College lecturer of the same name.

Mr Warner imposed an $800 fine and gave Simmons one month to pay it.