A MAN pushing a woman in a wheelchair stole £180 of meat from three stores in Skipton and South Craven, heard magistrates.

Daniel McHale and the un-named woman visited Morrisons supermarkets in Steeton and Skipton, and the Co-op shop at the Station Road, Cross Hills petrol station, all on June 4.

In each case, meat was placed into the woman's lap before the pair left without paying, heard Skipton magistrates on Friday.

They were recorded on CCTV cameras and were eventually stopped by a plain clothes police officer as they were on their way out of Morrisons in Skipton with £61 of meat, which was recovered.

McHale, 28, of Brunswick House, Crosley Wood Road, Bingley, admitted two thefts, at Morrisons, Skipton, of £61 of meat; and £40-£50 of meat from the Co-op service station store in Skipton Road. He also admitted on Friday to failing to answer bail at Skipton Police Station on June 26, and had earlier admitted the theft at Bradford Magistrates Court of £70 of meat from Morrisons, Steeton.

In mitigation, Paul Fitzpatrick said McHale was a man with a troubled past who had recently been introduced to hard drugs, but was now coming off them. He was easily led, had met two people in Keighley and had only realised what was happening when it was too late.

"He was asked to push this lady around the store in Cross Hills because she wanted to do some shopping. It became clear she was not going to pay for the goods, but she felt trapped," he said.

Mr Fitzpatrick added that McHale accepted he had facilitated the thefts and had admitted to them at the earliest opportunity.

He had moved away from bad influences in Keighley and was attempting to sort himself out, said Mr Fitzpatrick.

But magistrates told McHale although he had not been the architect of the thefts, he had continued to take part, even after becoming aware of what was happening.

He was given a year's community order with supervision and programmes to address poor thinking skills, and a six month low level drugs rehabilitation requirement. He was also given a six week curfew between 7pm and 7am and ordered to pay £40 compensation to the Co-op, and £70 to Morrisons. He will also have to pay costs of £85 to both the Skipton and Bradford courts, and victims surcharge of £60.