A CHAMPAGNE thief appeared in court after stealing from shops.

Daryl Swan had a taste for the finer things in life, taking bottles of bubbly from Co-op stores in Brighton and Hove.

The 32-year-old stole two bottles worth £40 during one raid on a Co-op in Brighton, and two more bottles worth £56 from the Western Road store three days later.

At Brighton Magistrates’ Court he admitted three counts of stealing Champagne last year, once in February and twice in September.

Swan also admitted stealing a jacket worth £120 from the Farah store in Brighton, and a quilted Hugo Boss coat worth £449 during a crime spree.

The thief, of Oriental Place, Brighton, was told to complete 20 rehabilitation sessions and to pay a £50 fine and a £90 surcharge.