A habitual thief and drug addict with more than 40 convictions could go before the Drug Court next month after he admitted stealing alcohol.

Acting Senior Magistrate Carlisle Greaves told a 42-year-old Roger Darrell "you have two problems, stealing and alcohol. We might be able to help with the second", before remanding him into custody until July 10 for the evaluation by the Assessment and Referral Centre (formerly Probation Services).

Mr. Greaves had asked Darrell: "You like liquor. What else do you like?"

Darrell admitted to smoking, using cocaine and cannabis, and "all other drugs".

Darrell, of Hamilton Parish, admitted he had stolen liquor from the Supermarket and a further three bottles of alcohol on June 15 from Dismont Robinson.

Crown counsel Charmaine Smith told the court the defendant had acted suspiciously when he entered the Supermarket on May 11. A surveillance videotape revealed the man had put bottles of liquor down the front of his pants. The man was identified and arrested by Police on May 25th.

Mrs. Smith also reported that Darrell entered Dismont Robinson on June 15 between 11.36 and 11.40 a.m. The clerk recognised Darrell and went to the rear of the shop. When he returned, he noticed the defendant putting back a case of beer on the shelf.

Darrell had placed three bottles of Gosling's Black Seal rum under his shirt before leaving the store. The man was arrested by Police and he admitted to taking the items. Mrs. Smith then pointed out a few previous convictions from his long list, which dated back to 1976. He had several cases of theft and shoplifting. In 1998, he was also convicted in Supreme Court for stealing a stereo and for cheque fraud.

Darrell said: "But those have been dealt with. They're done already. I think this is the end of this."

Mr. Greaves then said: "You definitely have more than 40 convictions here. It would take a week just to count all these. You've been fined 50 times."

Darrell replied: "I've been jailed 50 times too."

Mr. Greaves then commented that Darrell had not yet been tried in Drug Court and that this might be the place for him to get some help.You have two choices, you can go to jail for 12 months or you can go to the Drug Court," Mr. Greaves told Darrell. "If you'd sell off some of those convictions you'd get rich, man."