Blyth Thief Escapes Jail After Stealing from Shops Ten Times in Two Months
A 26-year-old man stole meat and fabric softener to fund his cannabis habit, avoiding jail time despite multiple thefts
Blyth, UK, Theft, Cannabis, Community Order
Blyth: So, there’s this guy, Christian Oliver, who’s been up to no good. He’s been stealing stuff from shops—like meat and fabric softener—ten times in just two months!
He was already in trouble for eight thefts at a store called Boyes when he decided to swipe some legs of lamb from Farm Foods and steaks from Morrisons. Apparently, he was doing all this to fund his cannabis addiction.
Oliver, who’s 26 and lives on Waterloo Road, showed up in court this week. He pleaded guilty to the latest theft and had already admitted to the earlier ones. He even asked the court to consider the Morrisons theft.
The prosecutor, Rehana Haque, explained that the Boyes manager had noticed a pattern of thefts between November and December last year. The first thing Oliver took was some razor blades worth about £15.
Over those weeks, he kept coming back for more, stealing fabric softener and razors, racking up a total of nearly £240 in stolen goods.
After getting arrested, he was out on bail when he decided to steal again—this time, legs of lamb worth about £57. He really couldn’t help himself!
His lawyer, James Rickerby, said Oliver wants to change his ways and doesn’t want to be back in court. He pointed out that Oliver had a tough childhood and was homeless, which led him to steal to support his habit.
In the end, the magistrates gave him an 18-month community order and he has to pay back over £310.95. Let’s hope he gets it together!