A man who stole meat from an Ipswich store because he was starving and couldn’t afford to buy food has been jailed for 14 days.

Sentencing Marcelino Vieira at Ipswich Crown Court Judge Emma Peters said: “Anyone who ends up in such a miserable condition where they are forced to steal food must have the sympathy of many but still it is unacceptable and illegal to go into a shop and steal.”

Vieira, 35, of no fixed address, admitted theft from Lidl in London Road and breach of a suspended sentence order and was jailed for 14 days. He also had an extra 10 hours added to an existing 245 hour unpaid work order.

The court heard that Vieira had been in custody since his arrest on March 17 and would be released immediately.

After he was detained at Lidl for stealing £27 of food, including meat and olive oil, he said he was starving and couldn’t afford to buy food.

Vieira was given a 21-month prison sentence, suspended for 24 months and ordered to do 200 hours’ unpaid work last September after admitting supplying crack cocaine.