A man who stole nine cans of Red Bull energy drink from Checkers because he needed money to cover his job-hunting costs has received a three-month wholly suspended sentence instead.
The sentence was imposed in the Wynberg Magistrate's Court on Thursday.
"I don't know what got into me your worship," said the man, who opted to speak for himself and pleaded guilty immediately.
He told Magistrate S Mthimunye that he had been looking for work and went to Checkers in Rondebosch, Cape Town, on August 6 to buy a bun to eat.
On the spur of the moment, he put the tins in his trolley. He planned to sell them to cover his job-hunting costs and only paid for the bun.
But the security guard nabbed him as he wheeled out the goods, worth R191, without paying.
"I was going to sell them so that I can have some support to do my job hunting," he said.
He apologised several times.
Negative impact
In mitigation of his sentence, the 28-year-old man, who was neatly dressed in a jacket and tie, said his mother died in 2002 and he and his brother were struggling.
But Mthimunye told him that stealing had a negative impact on shops and that stock losses could even lead to job losses.
She noted that he already had a previous conviction for stealing something worth R3 000 earlier in 2018. She sentenced him to three months in prison, suspended for five years.
Another man in the same court pleaded guilty to stealing an Orlando Pirates T-shirt from Totalsports in Cavendish Square.
He had 12 convictions, mainly for theft or related to drugs, and also pleaded guilty straight away without the help of a lawyer.
The public gallery speculated on the sentence he would get and some whispered: "Tronk. (Jail)."
Prosecutor Craig Estherhuyse said it was suspected that the man had stolen to buy drugs.
Mthimunye sentenced him to three months in prison, which he is to start serving immediately.