A MAN bailed after being accused of being drunk and disorderly and being equipped to commit theft has blamed media intrusion on his failure to turn up at court.

Recovering heroin and crack cocaine addict Robert Keating, 23, of Jackettsfield, Abbots Langley, told Watford Magistrates "the local paparazzi" had "scared him" by covering previous court appearances.

He had been due to appear on Monday, September 16, but failed to turn up and was arrested and held in custody before appearing at court last Thursday.

Keating had pleaded guilty at a September hearing to being drunk and disorderly and, at Watford Magistrates court last Thursday, pleaded guilty to having a foil-lined bag in his possession in order to assist in a theft.

The drunk and disorderly charge dates back to an incident in Watford High Street on August 31, when he was ejected from Yates's Wine Lodge.

The equipped for theft charge relates to an arrest made in The Harlequin shopping centre on Sunday, September 8, where he was srrn on CCTV cameras acting suspiciously.

The court heard he was seen with a red coloured carrier bag lined with foil used by shop lifters because they interfere with security tags.

The offence was committed while on bail for the drunk and disorderly charge and, on arrest, Keating told police he had the item to keep food warm he intended to buy from the shopping centre.

Mr Matthew Nash, defending, asked for an adjournment for a pre-sentence report and explained his client had not made it to court before because he had been ill, and could produce doctors notes as proof.

Keating addressed the bench and said he was a changed man since meeting his girlfriend who had managed to get him off heroin and crack cocaine.

While addressing the bench he went on, however, to contradict his legal representative.

He said: "I have been plastered over the local paparazzi and my mother has said until I come in front of the court she cannot put me up any more.

"I am sorry about the problems earlier but I got scared when I saw my name in the paper."

Keating was released on conditional bail and the case was adjourned until Tuesday, October 22, for a pre-sentence report.

Chairman of the magistrates Mr Roger Barrett said: "We consider this so serious that we must consider whether to send you to prison, but we need more information to help the bench decide what sentence to impose."

October 1, 2002 13:30