Security guard spared
A SECURITY guard at a Lidl store in Edinburgh has been spared jail term for breaking the leg of a thief while trying to prevent shoplifting.
Lidl security guard Leandro Da Silva admitted a charge of assaulting the shoplifter David O’Connor to his severe injury and restraining him with excessive force at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on October 14.
The court heard that the 28-year-old hadn’t received any training from his security firm before joining duty.
In January 2020, Da Silva approached O’Connor and his partner Natasha Robertson when they saw
them trying to pilfer items. When the duo started to abuse him verbally, they were engaged in a struggle. The guard then tried to restrain O’Connor and grabbed him. He fell on top of the thief and the latter stopped struggling.
Da Silva then took Robertson by the hand and dragged her onto O’Connor, who was laying on the ground, according to prosecutor Xander Van Der Scheer.
The shoplifter was placed in the recovery position while an ambulance was called, according to a testimony. The victim experienced deep vein thrombosis in addition to complicated fractures to his left leg’s tibia and fibula.