Serial offender stole £5 from charity busker

Wednesday 06 September 2023

A man with a long criminal history has landed himself in court again after stealing £5 from a charity busker.

Anthony Bernard Tadier (48) has 14 previous convictions and the Magistrate's Court heard that he had been given a suspended sentence in February.

On 10 June he snatched the cash from a busker who was playing the accordion to raise money for charity outside Marks & Spencer in King Street.

The 18-month suspended sentence had been imposed for grave and criminal assault, illegal entry, theft, malicious damage, urinating in public and failing to surrender to court.

Tadier admitted the theft of the money.

Advocate Chris Baglin, defending, conceded the theft was "unpleasant" but said Tadier suffered mental health and alcohol problems and explained: "His pattern of behaviour waxes and wanes according to his mental health and drinking."

Pictured: The case was heard in the Royal Court this week.

He added that Tadier had had six or seven beers on the day in question.

Relief Magistrate David Le Cornu said the court could impose the jail sentence that had been suspended. However he said: "This offence is of a completely different character so I am not going to invoke the suspended sentence."

Tadier was bound over to be of good behaviour for a year.

Imposing the order, the Relief Magistrate warned Tadier: "If you commit another offence during the period of your suspended sentence there is every possibility you will end up in prison."