Ouch! Jewel thief hides his booty in painful place

YOUNG THUG LOCKED UP FOR CRIME SPREE

A ‘BLATANT thief’ who robbed a shop worker tried to stuff stolen jewellery up his bottom while in a police van.

Callum Gregory, 19, was locked up for two-and-a-half years for the robbery, as well as a series of shoplifting offences.

He stole hundreds of pounds worth of items from shops in Harpurhey town centre while he was banned from the area after a five-year criminal behaviour order had been imposed.

Manchester Crown Court heard the shoplifting spree took place in November and December last year.

Gregory, who has ‘learning difficulties’ and was said to be intoxicated, stole items including hundreds of pounds worth of booze from Asda, £824 of beauty products from Lloyds pharmacy and clothes worth £500 from Select.

Then in March, when police were called to his home in Harpurhey to reports of a disturbance, Gregory kicked one officer and spat at two others, with the saliva landing on their uniforms.

The day after he appeared before magistrates in relation to his previous offences, Gregory was on Rochdale Road in Harpurhey at about 6.30pm on March 20, where a woman was closing a shop for the day.

She had £530 in takings from the day in a bag, along with items including an iPad and jewellery.

Gregory went into the store, initially asking about the price of sweets. He then grabbed the bag and assaulted her, pushing her and hitting her so he could take the rucksack. There was a struggle as she tried to stop him.

Police later found him and chased him on foot. He threw a bag, which contained about £15, into a nearby garden. He was stopped and put in a police van.

Gregory appeared to be struggling in the back of the van and found he was trying to conceal jewellery up his bottom, the court heard. Officers found a silver chain, a gold chain, a ring and a gold earring in his underwear.

Adam Lodge, defending, said Gregory, described by a security guard as a ‘blatant thief,’ is now remorseful.

Judge Elizabeth Nicholls ordered the sentence to be served in a young offenders institution.

Gregory, of Cardale Walk, Harpurhey, pleaded guilty to robbery, six counts of theft, breaching a criminal behaviour order, breaching a community order and three counts of assaulting an emergency worker.