Burglar stole till drawer from cafe

A burglar made off with a till drawer from an unguarded Wearside shopping centre cafe by telling security guards it was a computer, a court heard.

But Kevin Ramshaw, 42, was rumbled when Washington’sGalleriesstaffgrewsuspicious and scanned CCTV after he left the premises and headed towards a bus station.

It revealed he had taken the draw, which contained £560 in cash, and two sandwiches, from the Muffin Break outlet, South Tyneside Magistrates’ Court was told.

Althoughtheshopwasshut its position on an open thoroughfare meant he was able to access its kitchenand cut the till’ssecuritycable.Magistrates heardstaffchasedafterjobless Ramshaw and detained him until police arrived at around 8.20pm on Friday, January 3.

Prosecutor Lee Poppett said:“Atabouteighto’clock,security staff at the Galleries are ondutyandareapproachedby MrRamshawwhowantstoget to the west of the centre, but was told it was closed at that time of night. He walks off towards the middle of the centre, towards Muffin Break, an open air cafe with a sandwich counter.”

Mr Poppett said at about 8.20pm Ramshaw walked towardsamemberofstaff,pushing an Aldi trolley with the till draw inside.

He added: “They ask him where he got it and he says, ‘It’s a computer, I got it from the computer shop’. They check CCTV. The chord for the till was cut. They ran towards the busstationanddetainMrRamshaw.”

Magistrates sentenced Ramshaw, who pleaded guilty to burglary other than a dwelling, to a 12-month community order with a requirement of 25 rehabilitation days with the Probation Service.