Thief with 101 offences on his record banned from all Sainsbury's stores in South Tyneside

Jordan Martin, 26, swiped over £210 of goods from Sainsbury’s in Binchester Street, Simonside, in offences 12 days apart – but was caught out by CCTV.

The dad, of Whitehead Street, South Shields, had already been jailed at least twice for a shocking record of low-level thievery, a court heard.

His solicitor said they had been committed over a decade to fuel a crack cocaine habit – but he was now changing course, magistrates in South Tyneside were told.

Martin’s previous crimes included multiple chocolate thefts and other items that had easy and fast resale value on the black market.

He has now been banned from every Sainsbury’s in South Tyneside for a year by magistrates who heard he was responding well to a Probation Service programme of support and was drug clean.

Prosecutor Lorna Rimell said Martin took £60 of chicken and £79 of chocolate in two attacks on New Year’s Day, and £72.50 of meat on Wednesday (NOTE - January 13).

She added: “A staff member was aware of a shoplifter and they checked the CCTV, and they recognised the defendant.

“He had taken chicken without making payment. Later the same day, he’s come back to the store and is seen on CCTV taking a large amount of chocolate.

“And on January 13, he’s taken a large amount of meat. None of the goods were recovered.”

In a statement read to the court, the outlet’s manager said Martin was a persistent thief who had assaulted staff.

Martin, who pleaded guilty to three shop thefts, also admitted causing harassment, alarm or distress during an incident outside the home of the mum of his child on Wednesday, January 13.

And he asked for two thefts of chocolate, committed on January 5 and January 12 in South Tyneside, and totalling £90, to be taken into consideration.

David Forrester, defending, said: “The Probation Service reports that he has been clean and motivated for a number of months.

“I’ve asked him what has gone wrong and he said he got depressed because he couldn’t see his baby, he took a tailspin.

“His record is one of low-level shop thefts that were committed to prolong his drug habit which was crack cocaine.

“It’s theft of chocolate, anything that he can sell, he was desperate for drugs.”

Magistrates handed him a 12-month community order and told him he was on a “final warning” before jail in banning him from Sainsbury’s.

Under the community order, he must undertake a nine-month drug rehabilitation programme and 20 days of rehabilitation work with the Probation Service.

He was ordered to pay Sainsbury’s £211.50 compensation, and he was fined £80, with a £95 victim surcharge and £85 court costs.

The court also imposed a two-year restraining order on him from contacting his former partner, except via a solicitor for childcare, at home or anywhere he knows her to be.

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