A shoplifter tried to headbutt a store’s security guard after he was recognised as a regular thief.
Romer Stephens stole from Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Asda stores in the Folkestone area over a 10-day period.
After pilfering booze and other groceries from the Asda store on two occasions, the third time the 47-year-old entered the store in Bouverie Place Shopping Centre, a security guard approached him.
But Stephens, of no fixed address but from the Folkestone area, tried to headbutt the man twice.
He was later arrested and charged with five counts of shoplifting and one count of common assault.
Appearing at Folkestone Magistrates’ Court on July 20, he pleaded guilty to all the offences.
Prosecutor Julie Farbrace said: “On July 2 he was in Sainsbury’s in Folkestone and it was 8.40am and he selected an electric toothbrush and wine and concealed them and left the store without making any attempt to pay.
“He went back to the same store at 4.20pm that day and took similar items and again made no attempt to pay.”
The court also heard in total he stole £82 worth of goods from Sainsbury’s the same day.
And the next day, on July 3, he was back at it again when he went into the Asda store in the town and stole cans of Stella and wine valued at £22.75.
Magistrates were also told that just two days later, on July 5, he popped into the Tesco store in Foord Road in Folkestone and stole £200 worth of groceries.
The court heard a week later he decided to go back to the Asda store and stole £110 worth of items and left the store without paying.
The prosecutor added: “Later [that day] he went back into the same store and a security guard recognised him and approached him.
“He raised his arm [to stop him coming toward him] and the guard then grabbed Stephens by the wrist, but he tried to headbutt him twice.”
A victim impact statement from the guard said he understood part of his job was to deal with confrontation, but it was not right for people to try to intimidate him.
Ms Farbrace added: “A member of staff was assaulted and he was just trying to protect the store; it aggravates the offences.”
The court also heard Stephens had only been given a community order a couple of weeks previously for other offences.
Geoff Playford, defending, said his client should be given credit for his early guilty pleas.
He added: “The community order was only imposed a few weeks ago and he missed an appointment, but went to another, but it’s really not started yet.”
A probation officer also confirmed the order had not really got off the ground yet, but also told the bench Stephens had relapsed on his substance misuse and would probably benefit from a drug rehabilitation requirement.
Magistrates told Stephens it was unfortunate he found himself back in court just a few weeks after his last court appearance and that because his last community order had not taken effect, they would revoke it and place him on a new one and resentence him over the old and new matters.
As a result, they jailed him for four months for all the offences but suspended the term for 18 months.
Stephens was also ordered to complete a three-month drug rehabilitation requirement and attend 15 rehabilitation sessions.
He was also ordered to pay compensation back to the shops for the items he stole and was also ordered to pay the security guard £50 compensation and now owes the court a total of £540.
Source – Kent online
