Man stole fuel from same petrol station four times

Sweeney drove off from Morrisons petrol station four times across May

A man who stole fuel from the same petrol station four times in 18 days has been fined and ordered to pay compensation.

Eugene Sweeney drove off from Carlisle's Kingstown Road Morrisons petrol station multiple times in May without paying.

The offences were caught on CCTV and, during the third theft, Sweeney was seen on his phone while driving his van away.

Sweeney, from Low Harker, Carlisle, admitted four counts of making off without payment, using a mobile phone while driving and failing to attend an initial court hearing at Carlisle Magistrates' Court.

Magistrates gave the 39-year-old a £200 fine, ordered him to pay £82.39 in compensation to Morrisons and imposed six penalty points on his driving licence.

The value of each offence varied between £14.05 and £25.01.

Addressing the court, Sweeney said he had not received a court summons relating to the previous hearing due to a mix-up with post at his address.

"I am in the wrong for what I've done," he said. "I'm not denying it."