Heroin addict caught with cognac at Barking supermarket is jailed
A heroin addict who stole hundreds of pounds of pricey goods to feed his addiction has been jailed.
Ashihs Passi, 30, took men’s suits and bottles of brandy in a series of hits on high-street chains to buy the killer drug.
He jumped bail but was hauled into court on Friday after refusing to take a drug dependency test.
Passi, of Agnes Avenue, Ilford, was jailed for a total of 12 weeks.
His haul included three suits worth �447 taken from Marks and Spencer in Ilford and two bottles of Martell Cognac worth �64 from Tesco in Highbridge Road, Barking.
Barkingside magistrates jailed him for six weeks for each offence after court records revealed he had been caught for seven thefts in the last two years.
His solicitor Victoria Ironside said: “He does have a heroin addiction. He says this is why he is stealing, to feed his habit.
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“His immigration status is such at the moment that he can’t claim any benefit. He is originally from India.
“His family passed away in a car accident. He is living with friends.”
Passi pleaded guilty to failing to take a heroin dependency test in Ilford on September 13.
He also admitted stealing clothes from M&S in Ilford on September 19, brandy from Tesco in Barking on October 4 and failing to surrender to police on September 21.
Passi was given a one-week custodial sentence for failing to take the drug test and another week for failing to surrender to the authorities, both to run concurrently.