David Beckham aftershave thief given community service

Sunday 18 February 2018

A man who stole around £300 worth of items from a flat, including a black motorcycle jacket and David Beckham aftershave, has been sentenced to 180 hours of community service, and a 12-month probation order.

Kevin McKeown (39) pleaded guilty to illegally entering a flat in Kensington Place on 6 September 2017, where he stole a black leather ‘RST’ motorcycle jacket, three shirts, a ‘Fossil’ watch, David Beckham aftershave, two keys, £50 from a money box and a blue string bag altogether valued at £295.

On Friday, the Royal Court heard that the owner of the items returned to his flat in St. Helier around midday, after he received a call from his sister saying his front door was open and there was a mess inside. Police officers were called, but didn’t see any sign of forced entry on the property.

Around the same time, police were called to the fountain in Broad Street by a concerned member of the public as McKeown was seen sprawled on the ground, intoxicated and grunting in pain. When the officer arrived, she noticed he had medication prescribed to someone else in his pocket and a drawstring bag next to him with items falling out, including the David Beckham fragrance.

When asked how much he had taken, McKeown said he had taken 10 tablets with a litre of Jack Daniels and some cider. After being taken to hospital, he admitted to going to the property on Kensington Place to see his friend, who lived in one of the other flats. All the stolen items were discovered in the drawstring bag with McKeown, or being worn by him, apart from the £50 in coins which were taken from a money box.

The 39-year-old told police that he doesn’t recall the incident, but remembers someone trying to wake him up while he was lying drunk on the floor of the flat. He claims this person could have put his fingerprint on the money box.  

McKeown was also charged with being in possession of a controlled drug in Broad Street on the 6 September. Along with those two charges, McKeown was also arrested for two further charges relating to drugs and alcohol, which he committed in October while on bail from the first offence.

He was released on bail in January, on the condition that he is not to buy or drink alcohol.

Pictured: McKeown was found with the stolen goods by the fountain on Broad Street (source: Google Maps).

Prosecuting, Advocate Richard Pedley told the Royal Court that a social enquiry report rated him as ‘high risk’ of reoffending, and said he needs to take ‘vital action to address substance issue.”

Advocate Pedley said McKeown had a “criminal history associated with misuse of alcohol” and labelled him an “opportunistic” and “habitual” offender. The Prosecution called for a 15-month custodial sentence due to the “distress caused by illegal entry and violation” to the victim.

Defending, Advocate James Bell played down the seriousness of the offence saying it was during daylight hours, the occupier was not present and the items stolen were of low value. He also reminded the court that all the stolen property was returned, apart from the £50 taken from the money box, and described the incident as “unsophisticated, unplanned and unusual.”

Advocate Bell said apart from the lapse in the bail conditions earlier this month - where McKeown was found intoxicated in a hospital toilet – his client had made significant progress in addressing his alcohol addiction and was now in full-time employment through the back-to-work scheme. He requested “rehabilitation rather than punishment” and asked for the court to sentence McKeown to community service instead of imprisonment as he had already served 69 days in custody.

Deputy Bailiff, Tim Le Cocq, told McKeown that is it “clear that alcohol has been your downfall” and the court has acknowledged that he has made steps to address this. He handed a sentence of 180 days’ community service for all four offences, a 12-month probation order to get support and a compensation fine of £50 to the victim.  

The Deputy Bailiff warned McKeown “to take this chance” and to “not appear here again.”