Shoplifting

LegacyUser

I have had a serious Shoplifting addiction on and off the last 20 years. Into the mix has been alochol control issues

I was recently caught twice-In Nov I got an adult caution
I should have walked away but didnt. I kept going
I got caught today and charged. No adult caution now.
I have ignored the issue or only dealt with it occassionally
I was in serious trouble 10 years ago but after that I generally didnt do it that much and was not caught
The last few years with drinking more I stole more
Technically I didnt need to steal to fund booze but I developed a crazy accounting that said I should because spending 60 euro on booze a week was too much
I have a job /wife/3 kids
My wife was aware I had issues in this area but I lied and told her I no longer did this
If she finds out plus the hassle I have had with booze-it might cost me my marriage
I have a psychiatrist who will proably write a report for me
Im due in court in 4 weeks. The amount stolen (goods)was 200 euro.
my solicitor is hopfeul I can get the probation of offenders Act
I feelso stupid
I do see a councellor but only so much as she is expensive
But now I have to fork out about a 1k between solicitor fees and the psychiatrsts report
Please Advise

LegacyUser

It sounds to me as if your problem here is actually drink.

If you give up drink the shoplifting might disappear too.
What do you steal? Is it things you need? Or is the thrill of the steal that you crave?

If it's things you need definitely giving up drink might give you more money.

Good luck

AulWan

Come clean with your wife. Take her out for coffee, (so she can't flip out publically) sit her down, and tell her everything.

Yes she is going to be furious, but she needs to know, and if/when she comes to terms with what you are facing, hopefully she will be your biggest support.

You sound like you need more help that you have been receiving on all fronts, alcohol and the impulse to shoplift. You're spending 60 euro a week on alcohol, but that could pay for a counselling session.

Have you spoken to your GP, or looked for an alternative (sliding scale) counselling service?

punisher5112

You need to stop, the way you speak of it is like ah sure it's grand I only done it the odd occasion.

Once is too many and you need to sort yourself out.

Counciling may be an option but you seriously need to stop before the kids see less of you or not at all.
This could end up brushing onto them and do you want them stealing.

up for anything

If this is your first time in court then your solicitor should be able to get you off without a conviction although the judge would request a report about you from the probation officer attached to the court so you'd probably have to go back to court in three months meaning another set of solicitor's fees and having to behave in the intervening period.

What was it you stole and from where?

Also you should be able to find a low cost counsellor. You have a lot of calls on your money and finding a spare 60 euro to pay a counsellor every week would be impossible and you can't keep stealing to make your money stretch. Google low cost counselling for the area you live in and you should find a few. You obviously need to talk to someone if things have gotten to the stage where you knew that something like this could break up your marriage but you still went ahead and did it.

Best of luck. We all fuck up - it's how we deal with the fuck ups that matters.