A DRUGGED-UP thief was drinking straight from a stolen bottle of brandy when he was collared by a security guard.

Glenn Howe, 46, selected a £35 bottle of Courvoisier brandy from the shelf at Tesco, in the Hythe, Colchester, and attempted to remove the security tag.

He was spotted by a watchful security officer, who confronted Howe and grabbed him by his hooded top as he tried to make his escape.

After his arrest, Howe tested positive for cocaine consumption.

Ashley Petchey, prosecuting at Colchester Magistrates’ Court, said: “He briskly walked to the spirit aisle which alerts the security officer to monitor him.

“He was seen to select a bottle of brandy and walked off with it under his arm, attempting to remove the security tag from the bottle. The security officer then saw the defendant with the tag in one hand and the bottle in the other and went to confront him.

“This resulted in the defendant trying to run away, but he was restrained by the officer grabbing his hoody.

“In interview he stated he went in with the intention of buying the brandy and was going to pay by credit card.

“He claimed he saw the tag was loose and so removed it.”

Howe, who already had 38 convictions for 82 offences, including 36 for theft, admitted one count of attempted theft from a shop.

Raph Piggot, mitigating, described his record as “appalling” and said his criminal activity was down to a history of substance and alcohol abuse.

He said: “A factor here had been drink. He was actually drinking out of the brandy bottle when he was caught.

“He has got a suspended sentence hanging over him at the moment.

“He is a carpenter by trade, but can’t work because of the various issues in his life.”

Magistrates ordered Howe, of Colthorpe Road, Clacton, to pay £35 in compensation to Tesco to cover the cost of the brandy.

They did not activate the suspended sentence.