Sunderland booze thief arrested after failing to give police the slip
A thief pinched £200 of booze and other stock from a Sunderland store.
Reece Brown, 25, picked up three crates of Stella Artois lager and domestic products at Tesco’s outlet, at Fulwell, before leaving without paying.
But soon afterwards, at around 10pm on January 29, officers who were on alert for him spotted him in a street.
As one tried to grab his arm, Brown, previously of Carley Road, Southwick, and now of no fixed address, ran away but was quickly detained.
The first PC lost her balance and claimed Brown had pushed her in his bid to get away, magistrates in South Tyneside were told.
He denied touching her and a charge of assaulting a police officer was set down for trial after having pleaded guilty to the theft.
But at the start of his trial, prosecutor Emily Sanderson withdrew the charge and replaced it with one of resisting arrest, which he admitted.
Magistrates heard Brown was with at least one other man in the shop but that no one else had been arrested.
Ms Sanderson said: “The defendant entered Tesco and filled a basket he had with various cleaning products and three crates of Stella Artois.
“The items were valued at about £200 and he left without paying. Officers were on duty when a circular was sent at about 10pm for three men.
“A description given was that of the defendant. He was seen and as attempts were made to apply handcuffs, he pushed her backwards and she lost her balance.
“He made off but another officer detained him. That was when the defendant identified himself as Mr Brown.”
Brown, who is currently in custody, has 12 previous convictions from 29 offences.
The court heard he is to be sentenced at Newcastle Crown Court later in May after admitting committing a robbery on January 28.
In a victim statement read to the court, Tesco said such thefts made staff and customers fearful and left the firm out of pocket.
Annalisa Moscardini, defending, said: “In relation to the resist arrest, he denies physically pushing the officer and he says that she went to grab him and he has run.”
Magistrates ordered Brown to pay full compensation to Tesco, with no separate penalty for the resist arrest, but he must also pay £85 court costs.