AN alcoholic who was caught stealing wine has been jailed.

Michal Kowalewski, 26, of All Hallows Road, Easton, admitted shoplifting on April 26 and failing to comply with the requirements of a community order imposed on March 11.

Prosecuting at Bristol Magistrates' Court yesterday, May Li said Kowalewski was seen by a security guard at Sainsbury's on Broad Quay selecting a £4.69 bottle of wine before walking out without paying. He was arrested shortly afterwards and the wine was recovered.

When convicted of a similar offence in March, Kowalewski had been made subject of a supervision order, but he failed to attend appointments on April 1 and April 8.

Mitigating, Selina Hunt said her client was an alcoholic and had stolen the wine to drink, not to sell.

She said he was trying to find a "dry house" when he comes out of prison, so that he could start addressing his addiction.

Miss Hunt said he had told probation he was not going to make the appointments he missed, because he was too drunk at the time.

The magistrates imposed two seven-day prison sentences for the offences, to be served consecutively.