A man repeatedly stole alcohol and ate food from the SPAR shop in Machynlleth, a court heard.

The Barmouth man, who is banned from the shop, ate the food and then put it back on the shelves without paying, Welshpool Magistrates’ Court heard.

Peter Martin Collins, 50, of Y Bryn Flats, St John’s Hill, Barmouth, also stole a £4.99 bottle of wine on Saturday, June 22. However, it was the following day that he stole items worth £32.62 from the SPAR shop in Machynlleth during multiple trips.

Collins admitted both of the offences at Welshpool Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, speaking out of the dock before the clerk even had time to read out the charges. “It was a moment of madness at the weekend,” he said.

When the clerk read out the second charge, which included the food he stole from the SPAR store, he spoke over her again and said: “I did. I was eating them in the store.”

Ceri Ellis-Jones, prosecuting, said that the thefts from SPAR, on June 23, happened on four separate occasions and that they were shown on CCTV, magistrates heard.

At 8.13pm, he stole a bottle of cherry sours and “made no effort to conceal the bottle”, Mrs Ellis-Jones said.

Almost 10 minutes later, at 8.22pm he stole a bottle of apple sours, worth £14.21, a similar amount to the other bottle he stole. He also made no effort to conceal the bottle, the court heard.

At 8.31pm he opened some Pringles, ate them, and returned the container to the shelf, Mrs Ellis-Jones said.

He then did the same with a sharing bag of Rowntrees Fruit Gums, magistrates heard.

The court heard that the fourth time he entered the shop he ate from two packets of bubble gum flavour mushroom sweets, and also returned them to the shelf with “no effort” to pay.

At the Tesco Express in Aberystwyth, at 7.40pm, Collins picked up a bottle of wine and loaf of bread from the shop. He returned the bread and left the store without paying for the wine, the court heard.

Robert Hanratty, defending, questioned the prosecution on whether Collins was banned from SPAR before or after the offence. However, Mrs Ellis-Jones confirmed with a statement from the manager that he was already banned when the offence took place.

“It was fairly low value shoplifting. As he said himself, it was a moment of madness,” Mr Hanratty said.

Collins was given a community order and banned from entering the two shops for 12 months.

The community order also lasts 12 months, and Collins is to receive treatment for alcohol dependency for six months and attend up to 10 rehabilitation activity requirement days.

He was also told to pay £4.99 and £32.62 in compensation and to pay £85 in court costs and £85 in victim surcharge.