'Freegan' couple who rummage through supermarket bins for food miss court due to FOOD POISONING

[Teh One Who Knocks]

By Jamie Lewis - The Mirror


http://i.imgur.com/12kU5GY.jpg

A couple who live off leftover food from Britain's supermarket bins have missed their court appearance for theft – after suffering FOOD POISONING.

Paul and Kerry Barker, 39 and 30 respectively, say they cannot afford to pay for their own food after council bosses stopped their benefits.

They are now forced to live off food thrown out by supermarkets which is past its use-by date.

However, the 'freegan' husband and wife have come unstuck after needing to miss their court date due to unsettled stomachs and diarrhoea.

http://i.imgur.com/64sJohG.jpg

The Barkers, from Hetton, Sunderland, had previously appeared in court accused of stealing waste food from bins behind the same Tesco store.

They both admitted theft in May but were given absolute discharges at Sunderland Magistrates Court.

However, the couple were due appear before the same court on Tuesday (23/6) over the alleged theft of nine bottles of wine worth £89.91 from Tesco Express in Hetton.

Mrs Barker was charged with theft and her husband was accused of handling stolen goods on June 7.

But they failed to arrive for their 10am hearing and phoned in sick at 11.57am.

Commenting on their 'no show', Mr Barker's solicitor Brian Chapman said: ""I would invite you to issue a warrant to see whether these people have indeed been stuck inside the bins in Tesco."

A warrant was issued for their arrest and the couple will now be brought before the court when they are detained.

[Goofy]

Maybe they could try "working" :-k

[Pony]

1: :puke:

2: How can it be theft if it's in the trash bin?

[Teh One Who Knocks]

2: How can it be theft if it's in the trash bin?

Is Dumpster Diving Illegal?

It is generally considered legal for people to rummage through trash that has been left in a public area such as a curb for pickup. Once the garbage is placed in such a place, the person has basically forfeited their ownership rights to the items, as the property is now in the public domain.

Note that when a person discards trash, they have no "reasonable expectation of privacy" in the discarded items, which means that the police can search through the trash without first obtaining a warrant.

However if the dumpster or garbage bin is still in an enclosed area or is on private property, a person could be cited for trespass or even for theft if they try to rummage through the garbage. Also, some cities or counties may designate certain garbage processing areas as off-limits to the public. These distinctions may vary slightly by jurisdiction.

Lastly, while the act of dumpster diving may not itself be illegal, using a person’s confidential information for criminal purposes is illegal. It can result in criminal consequences like a fine or jail time, as well as civil damages for losses.

http://www.legalmatch.com/law-library/article/is-dumpster-diving-illegal.html

[Hal-9000]

I had a fight with my local donut/sandwich place (mini Tim Hortons at gas station)

Every night they throw out garbage bags of food at 11 pm. I gave them the name and number to a charity downtown. They in turn told me they can't give it away for fear of being sued.

You're telling me that a homeless person is going to complain about a day old bagel, bun or donut? Or that they will sue if they get sick?

[Pony]

That's odd, Many donut shops sell or donate their day old stuff.

I forget which sub shop sells their day old bread for cheap....