A desperate father cheated supermarket giants after using old reduced price stickers to buy prime cuts of meat for 4p and 5p.
Daniel Jones collected the discount stickers from his shopping at Tesco in Chester and Asda in Ellesmere Port before reusing them to get the bargain shop.
The 29-year-old was arrested after using the stickers to buy steak, beef and a leg of lamb worth £44.70 – for just 32p.
Appearing before Chester magistrates on Friday (December 20) Jones, of Shot Tower Close, Leadworks in Chester, pleaded guilty to one count of going equipped and one count of fraud – he was sentenced to a three-month community order.
The father-of-one attempted to cheat the system after his benefits were cut leaving him struggling to feed his five-year-old son, the court heard.
On November 19 this year Jones walked into Asda in Ellesmere Port and picked up packs of steak, beef and a leg of lamb before sticking the discounted labels on them using Blue-Tac.
Security guards watching the store’s CCTV saw Jones and an unknown female huddle together in the aisles - when they parted the items had yellow Whoops stickers on.
“Each of the items had about 4p or 5p stickers on them,” said Rob Youd, prosecuting.
“They went to the self service checkout. The total of the shop came to 32p. The defendant paid for the shopping and left the store with the female, they were stopped by security outside.”
Jones, who was cautioned for the same offence at Tesco on Frodsham Street, Chester in September, had more stickers on him when he was searched by guards outside the store.
Defending, Philip Marshall-Thomas said Jones had decided to commit the offence after he lost his benefits and started to struggle to feed his young son.
“Because he failed to keep an appointment they took his job seekers allowance away from him, this left him only with child benefits and council tax reduction,” said Mr Marshall-Thomas.
“Things did not get any better for him. He was struggling very much both as a result of financial problems and because of these financial problems the depression increased.
“He committed these offences in order to obtain food for himself and his son.
“The stickers concerned were obtained legitimately from Asda on a previous occasion, they weren't stolen.”
Jones was sentenced to a three-month community order including a curfew between 8pm-8am and ordered to pay a £60 victim surcharge.