Man is jailed after theft spree from town stores

A NuISANCE thief who plagued shops in Huddersfield town centre has been jailed for five months.

Christopher Young burgled one store and threatened to stab a security guard who confronted him at another.

He appeared at Kirklees Magistrates’ Court via a prison video link and pleaded guilty to burglary, using threatening behaviour and nine counts of theft from a shop.

The offences occurred between November 11 and December 13.

The Huddersfield court was told that the 35-year-old burgled Primark in New Street on December 4.

Prosecutor Alex Bozman said that he broke into the shop with another male shortly before 6am.

He told magistrates: “He kicked the door in and gained entry to the store. They went up the escalators and at that point there was a member of staff working so there was a confrontation.

“The defendant left the store and was subsequently detained by police.”

Magistrates were told about an incident on December 13 at the Marks and Spencer store in New Street.

Mr Bozman said: “The defendant was witnessed acting suspiciously and took a ladies’ coat worth £79 towards the exit.

“The witness grabbed hold of him and detained him but Mr Young said to him : ‘Get the **** off me, I’ll stab you.’”

Young was then able to leave the store with the coat, magistrates were told.

They also heard details about further thefts in the town centre. These included the thefts of six bottles of wine from Sainsbury’s in Market Street between November 11 and 12.

Young, of Falkland Road in Hull, was sentenced to 20 weeks in custody with £115 victim surcharge payable upon his release.