A MAN who stole items for scrap, including a cast iron bath he spotted in a field, appeared before magistrates charged with theft.
James Michael Newhouse, 22, of Westgate Caravan Park, Morecambe, pleaded guilty to two charges of theft when he appeared in court.
The court heard that a witness was driving along Cove Road in Silverdale when he spotted three men taking a bath fro
m a field and putting it in a white Transit van.
When questioned by the witness the three men said the farmer had given it to them.
It later transpired that it was used for cows to drink from and no one had the right to take it.
The second theft was of a battery left in a garage at a property on Queens Drive.
A toolbox locked in the garden of the same property was also discovered to be stolen when the owner returned home from work at 5pm.
On June 24 when Newhouse was arrested he said he had received £7 scrap value for breaking down the bath. He admitted taking the toolbox and the battery and admitted weighing the battery in at the scrap merchants.
Defending, Jonathan Jackson told the court that Newhouse and a couple of friends had been driving along and saw the bath abandoned in a field.
"They thought it had some value and put it in the back of their van. In a joint enterprise with his friends they stole the toolbox and battery, intending to keep the toolbox and weigh in the battery."
Magistrates ordered Newhouse to complete a community order with 100 hours unpaid work requirement to run consecutively with an existing order.
He was also ordered to pay £30 compensation to James Burrow for the bath and £80 compensation to Lynda Molyneux for the battery as the toolbox had been recovered.
An award was made for £60 court costs.
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