Ceiling collapse sparked serial South Tyneside thief to return to his criminal ways
“A police officer was able to identify him and conducted a search and found a number of items on him.”
A serial South Tyneside thief out of trouble for almost two years struck four times in a month when the roof fell in on his life, a court heard.
David Kelly, 45, found himself on the streets and using Valium when the ceiling of his council home collapsed, forcing him to leave.
Kelly, now of Whitehead Street, Tyne Dock, pinched twice from frozen food retailer Iceland’s store at the Nook, South Shields.
In thefts on Wednesday, September 23, and Friday of the same week, he made off with chocolate and cheese valued in total at £208.80, prosecutor Glenda Beck said.
But when he targeted Next and Holland & Barrett outlets in South Shields town centre on Tuesday, October 20, he was nabbed by police.
He took £36 of health supplements from Holland & Barrett and £80 of homeware goods from Next, but all items were recovered when he was frisked.
Mrs Beck said: “The witness at Iceland in Prince Edward Road was made aware of a shop thief who had entered at 11.30am and taken cheese, valued at £22.
“There was a further incident at the same store at 5.15pm on September 25, when he took cheese and chocolate valued at £186.80. None of the goods were recovered.
“On October 20 at 2.15pm, a male entered Holland & Barrett and took £80 of supplements, and he then entered Next, where he took homeware items.
“A police officer was able to identify him and conducted a search and found a number of items on him.”
Kelly, who has 119 previous theft or kindred offences to his name, with a last conviction in December 2024, pleaded guilty to four counts of theft from a shop.
David Forrester, defending, told South Tyneside Magistrates’ Court that Kelly had been settled in his council property until the roof collapsed.
Mr Kelly said that had forced his client to stay with his mum temporarily but then become homeless and reverting to Valium use.
He added: “He had been in and out of prison as a young man, but I haven’t seen him for some time. He now has stable accommodation.”
Magistrates sentenced Kelly to a 12-month conditional discharge and ordered him to pay £208.80 to Iceland.