"Long-in-the-tooth" shoplifter targeted South Shields supermarkets during three-week crime spree, court told
Supermarket raider targeted Tesco and Sainsbury’s during three-week shoplifting spree across South Tyneside.
A ‘long-in-the-tooth’ South Tyneside shoplifter helped to pinch over £450 of goods in five thefts from retailers during a three-week spree, a court heard.
Stuart Taylor, 57, and a partner in crime targeted Sainsbury’s outlet in Binchester Street, Simonside, as their first offence on Monday, November 3.
Taylor, of Imeary Street, South Shields, and the man swiped £111 of chocolate bars – and they struck again three days later, prosecutor Sandra Fife said.
On that occasion, they entered a Tesco store in South Shields, taking £20 of the same chocolates.
Their next theft was from Tesco at Towers Place, Simonside, on Tuesday, November 18, when they pinched six sirloin steaks, valued at £46.
Five days later, on Sunday, November 23, they stole £140 of chocolate from a Tesco branch and £136 of diffusers from Next at Waterloo Place, both South Shields.
When arrested, Taylor immediately pleaded guilty to three of the thefts but denied two, which were set down for trial, but he later also admitted those.
Mrs Fife told borough magistrates: “He was identified by an officer. On one charge, there is an issue with the identity of the other person.
“This defendant places something in his jacket pocket but he is concealed by another person.
“None of the items were recovered so there is a claim for compensation for half of the amount. He is not subject to any order of the court.
“I can't assist the court with what happened to his co-accused."
Geoffrey Forrester, defending, told magistrates their sentencing options were “extremely limited”.
He said this was in part because Taylor was “a bit long in the tooth” to benefit from Probation Service help.
Mr Forrester added: “He owes the court in the region of £4,000. He came out of prison in June last year, having been recalled on licence.
“He’s entitled to some credit for pleading guilty, perhaps 10 percent to 30 percent. He had pleaded not guilty to two and guilty to three.”
Magistrates adjourned the case for reports and granted Taylor unconditional bail to be sentenced at the same court on Wednesday, June 17.
* Peter Atkinson, 35, of Whitehead Street, South Shields, was jailed for 26 weeks in December after pleading guilty to the same five thefts from a shop.