A man who stole a bank card and used it to buy alcohol was this morning remanded to Drug Treatment Court.

Ernest Smith, 40, of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty to stealing items from a Warwick home in an incident on March 10 and dishonestly obtaining $355.54 of goods on the same date.

The court heard that the complainant had left his wallet and mobile phone on the lower floor of his home while working on maintenance in his home. When he came downstairs later in the day, he noticed that a sliding door had been opened and the items had been removed, along with a helmet.

After searching his home, he contacted his banks about the theft of his cards and was informed that his HSBC card had been used at the Warwick Pharmacy and at Haywards Liquor Store to make purchases.

Police later contacted the two businesses and collected images from CCTV cameras at the property, through which an officer was able to identify the man using the card as Smith.

He was arrested on March 20 and, when questioned about the incident, readily admitted the offences, saying he sold some of the items to purchase crack cocaine.

Senior magistrate Juan Wolffe remanded Smith into custody until the next sitting of Drug Treatment Court, advising Smith that he should make the most of the opportunity.

• It is The Royal Gazette’s policy not to allow comments on stories regarding criminal court cases. As we are legally liable for any slanderous or defamatory comments made on our website, this move is for our protection as well as that of our readers.