Marco Pierre White junior has been jailed after pleading guilty to a string of offences including shoplifting and possessing a knife.
Bristol Crown Court was told the son of celebrity chef Marco Pierre White had a privileged start in life and was from a good family, but has been struggling with heroin addiction from the age of 18. And, after breaching the terms of three suspended sentences, he has been put behind bars.
Pierre White pleaded guilty to 14 offences of shoplifting, possessing a knife, possessing heroin, a racially aggravated public order offence. The offences spanned January last year to April this year and relate to the Bath area, Bristol Live reports.
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Judge Mark Horton jailed him for 11 months, with 32 weeks of a previously suspended jail term to run consecutively. The judge told him: "It is addiction that causes intelligent people, from good backgrounds, who had every prospect, to cheat, lie and steal on a regular basis with a complete incapacity to stop doing so."
Ieuan Callaghan, prosecuting, said Pierre White was with an unknown female when he stole £2,496 worth of clothes from Wadswick Country Store. Police found him in Bath, counting money in a car, without the clothes.
The court was told Pierre White racially abused a security guard at Tesco Express in Bath, which he entered when he was banned from the premises. The victim was left hurt and anxious.
Pierre White went on to steal spirits from Waitrose in Bath as well as a credit card holder from the Mulberry store, Bath. He also stole dishwasher tablets, toiletries and spirits from the Co-op in Bradford Road, Bath, Ray Ban sunglasses from Jollies in Milsom Street, Bath, alcohol and food from a Co-op and booze from Star News, Bath.
Catherine Flint, defending, said her client had had a miserable time on remand. She said: "His dad is well-known and known to be wealthy. He (Pierre White junior) has suffered bullying, intimidation, extortion, threats of violence and actual violence.
"He is finding it incredibly difficult in prison. He is terrified at the thought of ever having to go back."
Miss Flint said her client had been addicted to heroin after suffering a car accident aged 18. She said he has detoxed in jail, despite drugs being offered to him.
Miss Flint said her client was ashamed of is behaviour and "deeply ashamed" of racist language he used on the shop security guard. The court heard Pierre White has the offer of a chef's position with his father's business on release.
She said: "He would very much like an opportunity from this court for another chance to try and get his life back on track."
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