Wine Thief Nicked £1,795 Bottle From Harrods

A Harrods shoplifter with expensive tastes walked out of the department store with a £1,795 bottle of red wine.

Gevorg Harutyunyan, 41, of Salamanca Place, Kennington used a carrier bag from another respected retailer – Waitrose – to cover his crime.

Today at Hammersmith Magistrates Court he was placed on probation for twelve months and ordered to complete 80 hours community service.

It was his second shoplifting offence in five months and he breached a twelve-month conditional discharge when nicking the wine.

Harutyunyan pleaded guilty to stealing the bottle from the store on February 9.

Prosecutor Miss Denise Johnson told the court the defendant concealed the wine within the carrier bag and left without making any attempt to pay.

When stopped outside by security he apologised for what he had done.

“At the police station he was asked if he was under the influence of drink or drugs and said: 'No.' and said he felt ashamed of himself as a result of the incident.”

Harutyunyan, who has to obey immigration reporting conditions and is disqualified from working or claiming benefits, claims it was an “impulsive” act.

He claimed he did not know the value of the wine and wandered into the shop with a friend after shopping at Waitrose.

Harutyunyan has two sisters in the UK, but is too ashamed to tell them about the theft.

“It is the second time you have been shoplifting and that aggravates the situation you are in,” District Judge Richard Inyendo told him.

“The other aggravating factor is the high value of the item you stole.”

Harutyunyan was also fined £50 for breaching the conditional discharge and ordered to pay £85 costs and an £80 victim surcharge.