Thief stole hundreds of pounds of fuel from petrol pumps

A BRAZEN fuel thief targeted petrol stations in Newcastle and Northumberland four times in a month to pay off a debt.

John Walton was driven to Tyneside Autoparc and a Sainsbury’s garage, where he filled up canisters with diesel.

The 32-year-old pretended to have left his wallet at home and filled in a form promising to pay but never returned.

A court heard that, in total, he stole £523.67 worth of fuel.

However, his face was soon recognised and Walton, who was on a suspended sentence at the time, was later arrested.

Shell garage at Tyneside Autoparc on Sandy Lane

Now, he has been given a 12-month community order and banned from going into either petrol station for 12 months after pleading guilty to two counts of theft at North Tyneside Magistrates’ Court.

The court heard that Walton,

of Avebury Place, in Cramlington, targeted Tyneside Autoparc three times between March 25 and April 24 this year and Sainsbury’s on April 6.

Sue Baker, prosecuting, said: “On some occasions, he completed a form for those who arrive at the petrol station, fill up and realise they have left their wallet at home.”

She added: “The defendant has made no attempt to follow up the form and no attempt to contact or make payment.”

The court heard that Walton, who was a banned driver at the time, was taken as a passenger and got out to fill the cannisters.

Mark Harrison, defending, said he had been coerced by others to carry out the thefts to pay off a debt and that Walton was ‘embarrassed’. The solicitor added: “He agreed, stupidly, to take part in this misbehaviour.”

Walton was also fined £40 for breaching his suspended sentence and was ordered to pay £523.67 in compensation.