Booze thief foiled and sent to jail

A SHOPLIFTER used a foil-lined bag to steal almost £3,000 worth of alcohol and meat from supermarkets.

Keiron Peter Clark would walk into supermarkets such as Asda and Aldi and make off with goods without paying.

The 32-year-old, who has 87 convictions for 217 offices, targeted supermarkets in Peterlee, Spennymoor and Bishop Auckland between October 4 last year and January 26 this year.

Durham Crown Court heard on Monday that there was a “suggestion” Clark had been stealing goods to order.

Sam Faulks, prosecuting, said Clark admitted eight counts of shop theft at a previous court hearing.

“Effectively, there’s a whole raft of shoplifting, all following a particular pattern,” he said.

“Walking into wellknown large shops in County Durham and just making off without payment.

“Quite a lot of the time he removed tags from bottles he was stealing and he also put items into a bag lined with silver foil to prevent being detected and setting off alarms.”

Clark targeted Asda stores in Spennymoor, Peterlee and Bishop Auckland, as well an Aldi.

He stole alcohol and some meat, which totalled £2,965, the court heard.

Mr Faulks said he received a sentence on October 30, last year – an 18-week sentence, suspended for a year.

Only a week later he committed a further shoplifting offence, something which was a “flagrant disregard” of the sentence passed.

“There was some degree of planning and an inference of stealing to order,” Mr Faulks added.

Lewis Kerr, mitigating, denied Clark was stealing to order.

“Since leaving care at the age of 16, he’s never had stable accommodation,” he said. He added that Clark had a “long-term crackcocaine and alcohol addiction” and said he has “the ability to change”.

Sentencing Clark, Recorder Simon Goldberg said he had “extensive previous convictions” and that there was an “inference” he was stealing to order.

Clark was jailed for 30 weeks.