I think that what you are saying is right very often but not always.

I have had experience with people you are describing (these are usually local people), I have seen people who can by classified as amateur level professional beggars (usually foreign) and the guy did not really fit into none of such classifications.

It felt odd. So I would guess that he was either a higher level professional beggar or a man in despair. Given his reaction, I would put my wager on the first guess. But like I told, I do not know the truth.

But that is not the moral of my story.

What I wanted to point out is that there are people who possible do not hesitate to pretend.

When given supportive legal framework, these people can then develop a lifestyle that is based on the shoplifting.

When caught, they can then pretend that they are in desperate need and given such court decisions, people may let them go without involving the authorities.

I think that in this case the court made a right decision in general, but it should not become a common practice applied without though due diligence.