Serial burglar punched pizza shop boss in town

ATTACK WHEN DISTURBED AS HE BROKE INTO TAKEAWAY

A serial burglar attacked a pizza shop manager who caught him trespassing.

Martin Brown, 58, crept into the fast food store in The Borough, Hinckley, while the victim was on the premises.

The manager, who heard a noise at the back of the shop and went to investigate, was punched in the face by the intruder.

Sinjin Bulbring, prosecuting, told Leicester Crown Court: “His teeth were knocked loose and his mouth was bleeding.”

The victim bravely gave chase as the defendant ran off. Brown threw a wheelie bin into the victim’s path, causing him to fall over, as he headed across Eden Court car park.

As a result of the incident, the victim lost two lower teeth and two other teeth were damaged.

The court heard initial dental treatment had already cost £800, with permanent implants expected to run to more than £10,000. Brown, of no fixed address, admitted causing actual bodily harm and burgling the One A Pizza House on December 13, 2020.

He also admitted breaking into the same pizzeria on November 16, when he found no money.

Brown, who has 140 criminal offences to his name, had left emptyhanded and within a few hours of the attack on the pizza shop manager, he burgled an Indian restaurant, Bengal Village, across the road, causing £800 worth of damage.

He admitted the break-in and stealing £400 and 12 bottles of beer.

Mr Bulbring said Brown is currently serving a three-and-a-halfyear jail sentence, imposed last May, for an earlier burglary spree of seven offences, in the Newcastle upon Tyne area.

Mark Harrison, mitigating, said: “It’s evident there are aggravating features in this case, but the defendant believes it was more likely the damage to the complainant’s teeth was caused when he fell over the wheelie bin, rather than the punch.

“Whatever the cause, he accepts the injuries flowed from his criminality.

“His time in custody has been difficult, having tested positive for Covid-19 three times.

“He also suffered a heart attack four or five months ago. His days of running away from shopkeepers are long behind him.

“He has a permanent ankle injury, arthritis in his hips and appears in court today, via a link from custody, in a wheelchair.

“He’s committed to keeping out of trouble when he’s released.”

Recorder David Richards said: “The victim, who carries out a public service as a shopkeeper, was permanently disfigured.”

He said that since 1982, Brown had committed 140 crimes, mostly for theft and kindred offences, as well as numerous burglaries of commercial premises. Brown was jailed for nine months, to run consecutively to the sentence he is serving.