A man who stole Viagra from a pharmacy was defended by his lawyer who told the court that his client is 'not a hardened criminal'.
Stephen Cooper, 46, stole the erection-enhancing pills from a pharmacy in England's Staffordshire on March 19 after starting a new relationship with a woman,?Stoke Sentinel?reported.?
The theft happened eight days after police executed a drugs warrant at his address and found cannabis in his room.??
Cooper admitted possession of a class B drug and theft from a shop and was given a 12-month conditional discharge.?
Prosecutor Karen Wright said police conducted a drugs search warrant at an address in Leek on March 11 and found ?10 worth of cannabis vegetation on a bedside table. The defendant returned to the address during the search and agreed to be interviewed.
On March 19, he was seen entering the pharmacy and stealing a box of Viagra - having been spotted by staff trying to do the same weeks earlier.??
Karen had told the hearing that four weeks before the offence in question, Cooper had gone to the pharmacy and 'tried to steal four packets of Viagra'.??
However, his lawyer?Iain Haley argued in mitigation that the offences were very low level and the Viagra was for Cooper's own use.?
He added: "He formed a relationship and needed the Viagra to enable him to keep up with the young woman he had formed the relationship with. He is not a hardened criminal."
Appearing in court, Cooper was handed a 12 month conditional discharge.
He was also ordered to pay ?35 in compensation and a ?22 surcharge. His ?10 worth of cannabis was confiscated and destroyed.