A UK man claims he’s innocent of the charges of shoplifting leveled against him, and says he was simply “moving” a roast beef to get it out of his sight because it reminded him of his grandma.
51-year old John Casey, an unemployed father of eight, was busted on security cameras while putting the roast into his backpack, and after he was arrested, chose to stand trial for the accusations rather than be seen in lower court.
Judge Milford, who oversaw the case, said “Ordinarily this is a case that would be dealt with in the lower court but he has elected trial. He has the right to be tried by a jury and he has been.”
Casey maintained his innocence throughout the trial, but he was found guilty by jurors in just an hour’s time. He was given two years of probation.
“You have caused a huge amount of unnecessary expense to be incurred by electing trial and you have got no means from which you can cover the costs of this expensive trial,” Judge Milford said. “If you come in front of me again I will be a lot less sympathetic.”
Casey said the combination of the beef and blood reminded him of his grandmother, who died when he was just a child.
“Every day my grandmother is with me, I remember her, but this was not like any other,” Casey said. “I was re-living it, it was like I was there with her again. The blood in the bag was bringing it on, it was like I was there, like I was living it.”