South Shields thief stole mammoth supply of Pokemon cards in irrational theft from Costcutter

Mark Reynolds’ bizarre crime happened at the Costcutter outlet in Stanhope Road, South Shields, his local shop, a court heard.

Reynolds, 49, of nearby Vine Street, Tyne Dock, South Shields, went in and asked the owner for cards of the popular cartoon franchise series.

Prosecutor Paul Anderson said he insisted the individual card packs be left in their entirety in the larger delivery box but grabbed them – and fled.

The crook’s crime was caught on CCTV and he was arrested and confessed to the theft, which took place on Tuesday, August 11.

Mr Anderson told South Tyneside Magistrates’ Court: “The defendant went into the store and asked for some items of Pokemon cards.

“The owner started looking for them and the defendant said for him not to open the box because he wanted them all.

“He then just grabbed the box and fled. There was CCTV and it was no surprise that he was identified from it.

“In interview, he said that he wanted them to sell on for money. The shopkeeper lost out to the tune of £72.”

Mr Anderson said Reynolds’ convictions were made up of 104 offences, half of which were for dishonesty or theft.

John Kirkham, defending, said: “He has settled down. When he was younger, he was in a bit of bother.

“In relation to this, he can’t rationalise what he was doing with these Pokemon cards.

“It was on the spur of the moment. It’s his local store, he’s since been in to apologise.

“He made full admissions to the police. The goods were not recovered.”

District Judge Paul Currer told Reynolds: “You stole, for some reason best known only to yourself, from a shop where you were known and where you knew you would be readily identified.”

He sentenced Reynolds, who pleaded guilty to theft from a shop, to a 12-month conditional discharge and ordered him to pay £72 compensation, with £85 court costs.

Support your Gazette and become a subscriber today. Enjoy unlimited access to local news, the latest football stories and new puzzles every day. With a digital subscription, you can see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Click here to subscribe.