Drugs were put in tea - claimed defendant

AN ESSEX man who stole thousands of pounds worth of property from his sister and another woman claimed he had committed the crimes after someone put drugs in his cup of tea, a court has heard.

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David Palmer had been doing work at his sister Adele Palmer’s home and also had access to his sister’s partner’s daughter’s home and stole items which were initially valued at £10,000, Ipswich Crown Court was told.

The stolen property included clothing, jewellery, a camera and even a washing machine, said Robert Sadd, prosecuting.

Since his arrest, Palmer has returned a large number of items including a fur coat, aftershave, perfume bottles and a camera and the amount of property still missing is now valued at £1,800.

Palmer, 43, of Courtauld Close, Halstead, admitted stealing items from a property in St John’s Street, Bury St Edmunds, between July and September last year and from a property in Alder Court, Thetford, in October last year.

Ordering him to do 200 hours’ unpaid work in the community, Judge Peter Thompson said Palmer had done his best to recover the stolen property and had given the police the names of other people involved in the offences.

Joanne Eley, for Palmer, said her client had fallen into bad company and had started using drugs.

She said he had never been a drug user before and believed he was given drugs in a cup of tea.

She said Palmer accepted full responsibility for what he had done and was remorseful.

Miss Eley said he had very
little recollection of the offences and had not committed any offences of dishonesty for 17 years.

“He accepts he has caused his sister much upset and anguish by his actions. If he hadn’t been under the influence of drugs he wouldn’t have acted in this way,” said Miss Eley.

Miss Eley said at the time of the offences Palmer had been doing some odd jobs at his sister’s house and he had given the police the names of other people involved in the offences.