AFTER drinking a litre of vodka, a man obtained over £100 worth of goods on a woman's credit card, Feltham court was told last week.

John Anthony O'Connell, aged 35, described as homeless but staying in the Chiswick area, admitted receiving a stolen credit card in the name of Erica Boulet and obtaining perfume worth £36 at Woolworths, Chiswick, and spirits worth £82, from the Wine Cellar, Chiswick on November 23rd last year.

The same evening, he went with another man to the Barley Mow, Chiswick, and tried to use it to obtain cash. Staff were suspicious and the police were called and they arrested him back at the Wine Cellar where he was about to buy four bottles of Bacardi, on the same credit card.

When he was later seen by police, he said he could remember nothing of the incident as he had been drunk all day. The card had been stolen in a burglary at Chiswick but there was nothing to suggest that O'Connell had stolen the card.

He also admitted being in a stolen car when police found his woollen hat and traced him through the DNA in his hair.

Magistrates were told that he been addicted to drink and drugs and on that day he had drunk at least one litre bottle of vodka.

He had gone home and his family had cleaned him up and when he was better he gave himself up at Chiswick police station.

The bench said they wanted to know more about him, after being told he has a lengthy list of convictions and said they were considering prison.

May 30, 2003 12:30