South Shields man jailed for stealing £3.7k worth of goods from various stores

John Brennan’s offences included swiping a £2,000 pair of Michael Kors specs from S Walton Eyecare in Stanhope Road, South Shields, on Tuesday, August 27.

He returned on Monday, September 16, and made off with a £380 Ray-Ban pair, the borough’s magistrates’ court heard.

His offending so frightened staff that CCTV was installed in a bid to deter his return, prosecutor Bushra Begum said.

Between Thursday, September 12, and Tuesday, April 8, Brennan, 37, of Farding Lake Court, Marsden, South Shields, committed a further 12 thefts from shops.

He did so to get goods to sell for cash to fund his drug and alcohol use, his solicitor Angus Westgarth admitted.

Brennan’s next theft was at Farmfoods at the Nook, South Shields, when he swiped £190 of lamb, followed by £21 of laundry products a week later.

He committed his first of seven thefts against the Co-op in Mortimer Road, South Shields, on Sunday, September 22, when he pinched £54 of meat.

The next day, he made off with £200 of meat from the same store – and then targeted it five times in March and April.

On Sunday, March 9, Brennan pinched from it £91 of various items, followed by £88 of stock on Friday, March 21 and £163 of goods in two thefts on Sunday, March 30.

There was no let-up in his offending, and he returned for a final time on Tuesday, April 8, taking £53 of various stock.

Light-fingered Brennan also targeted Sainsbury’s in Binchester Street, Simonside, South Shields, three times during his spree.

He struck first on September 22 when he took £50 of coffee and meat and returned on each of the next two days, stealing a total of £154 of the same items.

Mrs Begum said each retailer had delivered victim statements about the impact of shoplifting.

At an earlier hearing, Brennan pleaded guilty to 14 counts of theft from a shop and asked for six other same offences to be taken into account.

He also admitted a charge of breach of a criminal behaviour order by attending the same Sainsbury’s on Monday, September 16, while prohibited by a court.

Mr Westgarth said Brennan wanted help to deal with his problems, adding: “He has drug and alcohol addictions, and committed these offences to fund those habits.

“He’s trying to put himself right. It’s a long road to recovery.”

District Judge Zoe Passfield jailed Brennan for 14 weeks for the theft of the £2,000 sunglasses and to 10 weeks for the second glasses theft and for the breach, to run concurrently.

For each of five thefts against the Co-op, Brennan was jailed for 12 weeks, concurrent to each other but consecutive to the 14 weeks.

She jailed him for a consecutive 10 weeks on all other thefts, and activated a 10-week suspended prison sentence, to run consecutively.

He must also pay a £154 victim surcharge.