Thief snatched cash from wallet in city chip shop
PROLIFIC OFFENDER IS NOW BACK BEHIND BARS AGAIN
A PROLIFIC Derby criminal snatched £200 from the wallet of a man who was paying for food in a city centre chip shop.
Southern Derbyshire Magistrates Court heard how opportunistic Joshua Fournillier spotted his victim reach for the cash, and acted ahead of him to steal the money.
The 28-year-old, who has a long history of offending, then ran from the scene but was recognised on CCTV and arrested. Now he is back behind bars again, this time for another 24 weeks.
District Judge Jonathan Taaffe said: “The reality of the situation is that the distress he will feel as someone you preyed on is significant. He was left in a position where, without any money, he was not able to pay for his life essentials.
“Now every time he takes his wallet out he wonders if someone is going to snatch it.”
Peter Bettany, prosecuting, said the offence happened at the Blue Ocean fish and chip shop, in Brick Street, off Ashbourne Road, on July 27, this year.
He said: “He (the victim) was out in town and was in the fish and chip shop getting cash out of his wallet.
“Suddenly a man, this defendant, grabbed money from his wallet and ran out of the takeaway.
“The matter was captured on CCTV.
He was picked up on August 1 and refused to leave his police cell to be interviewed.”
Fournillier, of Normanton Road, pleaded guilty to one count of theft. In 2020, the defendant carried out a sex act on himself in front of police officers before being jailed for burgling a Derby store.
The same court heard how he had been taken to a police station after being arrested for breaking into The Eye Gallery, in Sadler Gate, and stealing £12,000 of stock. On that occasion, after being arrested and while in his cell, Fournillier was being watched on a screen by custody officers who became concerned about his behaviour.
They went to his cell to check on his welfare, and when they did he started touching himself sexually in front of them. And when he was jailed for 41 weeks in October 2020 for those offences, he also admitted a second charge of stealing a bicycle from outside the Post Office in Babington Lane on June 8, 2020.
Stephen Cooper, mitigating this week, told the judge: “There is some familiarity and you will know Mr Fournillier from the past.
“It is a long shot, but I would ask you to consider an option whereby he could keep his liberty.”
As well as the jail sentence, Judge Taaffe ordered Fournillier to pay a £154 victim surcharge.
Now every time he takes his wallet out he wonders if someone is going to snatch it District Judge Jonathan Taaffe