Couple Charged For Stealing Expired Groceries To Feed Children

A husband and wife who were caught on CCTV stealing out-of-date food from Tesco bins to survive have avoided sentencing after a sympathetic judge said ‘how are they expected to live?’

Paul Barker, 39, and Kerry Barker, 29, of Sunderland, were spotted on CCTV sifting through out-of-date groceries at the back of a store on January 5 after their benefits were stopped and they could not afford to feed themselves or their children.

They were caught by police taking worthless discarded food from a supermarket bin in a bid to feed their hungry family and were charged with theft – and the matter made it to court.

Mr Barker says both he and his wife were hardworking taxpayers but he was forced to quit his job after breaking his back while working as a scaffolder.

His wife gave up her job at Durham County Council five years ago due to depression and as a result the pair no longer have a source of income.

They have been forced to steal food from bins after Mrs Barker’s benefits were stopped after she missed a meeting earlier in the year.

Because of this the couple’s children, a four-year-old boy and two-year-old daughter, have now been forced to live with their grandparents.

When police arrived at the Tesco store on January 5 Mr Barker told officers that the pair were hungry and they knew there would be food at the store.

Mr Barker admitted theft at Sunderland Magistrates Court.

Mrs Barker is yet to enter a plea and will appear before magistrates on May 30 for the same offence.

But District Judge Roger Elsey took pity on them and said the food they took was not worth anything.

He said he could not impose a penalty in such a case because they are clearly struggling – and gave Mr Barker an absolute discharge.

Source: DailyMail