Shops targeted by banned thief

A THIEF who was barred from every supermarket in the UK has been convicted of stealing from them again.

In January 2019, Lee Stephenson was given a 12-month exclusion order by a judge, prohibiting him from going into any national food stores.

But the 33-year-old was caught stealing from shops again in September and October last year.

He was given a 12-month conditional discharge when he was sentenced for those offences at North Tyneside Magistrates’ Court in November.

However, just days later Stephenson targeted Tesco Express, Morrisons and Spar a total of five times in two days.

The crook, of Jenison Avenue, in Benwell, Newcastle, appeared before the same court in custody on Tuesday, after failing to show for a previous hearing, and pleaded guilty to five counts of shop theft and one of failing to surrender to custody.

Glenda Beck, prosecuting, said Stephenson committed the offences on December 29 and 30 last year at the West Road branch of Tesco Express, in Newcastle and Morrisons and The Spar, on Two Ball Lonnen in Fenham. He stole two boxes of Toblerone, worth £80 from the Tesco, she said. The court heard that Stephenson returned to the same store later that evening and took another two boxes of Toblerone before helping himself to two more boxes the following day.

Ms Beck added: “Police viewed CCTV and identified the defendant. The officers stopped him in the Benwell area. He was in possession of seven packs of Lurpak butter and two packets of razor blades.”

Stephenson, who has 46 theft offences on his record, confirmed he’d stolen the goods to sell on.

He was given a 12-month community order and must pay a total of £268 in compensation.