A PROLIFIC Isle of Wight offender with a “distinctive facial tattoo” went berserk in the dock after learning he would be going to jail.

James Horan, of School Green Road, Freshwater, appeared before a judge at the Isle of Wight Crown Court on Tuesday, March 5.

At a previous hearing in February, the 39-year-old admitted theft from a shop in Freshwater, on June 25 of last year.

The court heard Horan, who has 32 previous convictions for 68 offences, initially denied the charge, but pleaded guilty on the first day of his trial.

Prosecutor, Annabel Hazlitt, said Horan stole ten packets of steak, and Nicorette patches, from Sainsbury’s in Freshwater.

She said he entered the store at around 4pm, placed the steaks in a bag for life in his trolley, selected Nicorette packets while waiting in line, and tried to pay for a four-pack of beer at the till, only for his card to decline.

Ms Hazlitt said he left the beer at the till and exited the store, making no attempt to pay for the rest of the items, which were valued at £116.

She said Horan – a distinctive man with a prominent facial tattoo – was identified on CCTV.

The court heard in October 2022, Horan was handed a 15-month prison term, suspended for two years, for three counts of possession of a bladed article, two counts of assault against an emergency worker, and theft, and thus was in breach of that order.

Kate Davies, defending, said Horan hadn’t seen CCTV evidence of the offence until the day of his trial, and the underlying issue to his offending behaviour was alcohol consumption.

She said the offence involved little planning, was not part of a group activity, was low value, and had no element of a breach of trust.

She told the court Horan believed it to be a silly mistake, was remorseful, emotional, and frustrated with himself.  

Judge David Melville QC said Horan’s criminal career started in 2000, as a youth.

“Your pre-sentence report tells me you are addicted to this kind of offending,” said Judge Melville.

“You’ve made it difficult for yourself, and it is time you grew up.”

He told Horan it was high time he got to grips with alcohol.

Horan was handed a two-month prison term for the theft, and saw his suspended sentence order activated, for a total jail sentence of 14 months.

After the judge left the courtroom, a frustrated, foul-mouthed Horan – tearful throughout the hearing – went berserk in the dock, thumping the glass, remonstrating with his barrister, and threatening to shove a pen in the County Press court reporter’s eye.