An old man, who admitted to stealing a vape mist from Rapid True Value hardware store in Kingston, told the court that he believed that 18 months’ imprisonment was too long, but ended up with a two-year prison sentence instead.

Delroy Spaulding, who is in his 60s, was slapped the sentence by Judge Pusey on Friday, after he confessed that he had got in trouble with the law four times before for the same thing.

The court heard that he went inside the store’s Half-Way-Tree branch and picked up the item valued at $889 and attempted to leave the store without paying and was held by a security guard.

Interestingly, Spaulding had appeared in court two days before and had pleaded guilty to shoplifting a Kraft mayonnaise and two tins of ham from a supermarket in Half-Way-Tree.

However, after Spaulding pleaded guilty to simple larceny, the judge asked him how long he had spent in prison on his last trip and he said 12 months.

“So we add six more months on that,” Judge Pusey said.

“Suppose we turn it up a little maybe you will get the message,” she added.

Judge Pusey then asked Spaulding: “ How does 18 months sound?”

“Is a long time that for a bottle of mist,” he replied.

“Eighteen months long?” the judge asked. “ You have made a career out of going to prison … you doing two years.

“You must stop it, we have to pay for it and pay for security,” Judge Pusey said after handing down the sentence.

Spaulding will return to court on June 1, for sentencing on the shoplifting charge.

In that matter, the court heard that he attempted to walk out of the supermarket with the items hidden underneath his clothes, but that when he was confronted the two tins of ham fell from under his shirt.