Brazen burglar stole £10,000 worth of booze after targeting Sunderland Sainsbury's

Ryan Robinson took dozens of crates of Champaign and vodka by sneaking into the warehouse at the retail giant's Silksworth Lane shop in Sunderland and loading them onto a trolley then leaving.

Newcastle Crown Court heard it was in January this year (2025) when staff reported a large quantity of vodka was missing and the store cameras were checked.

Mr Recorder Samuel Rippon told Robinson: "Footage showed you entering the rear gate and removing ten boxes of vodka which you loaded onto a trolley and left with."

The video shows Robinson wearing a high-vis jacket, which meant he could easily pass for a warehouse worker.

The court heard the CCTV revealed Robinson had done the same thing two days earlier and investigations revealed he had targeted the shop a total of five times between December 17 and January 14 and taken £10,101 worth of Champaign and vodka.

Robinson, 42, of Guildford Street, Sunderland, who has convictions for 36 previous offences, admitted five charges of burglary.

Recorder Rippon told him: "You targeted the same store five times in the space of a month.

"On any view over £10,000 worth of stock is a significant amount, even to a national supermarket chain."

Annalisa Moscardini, defending, said Robinson had run up a drug debt, was put under pressure and given instructions to take the items from the warehouse.

The court heard Robinson, who has spent time in custody on remand, is now off drugs and has prospects of rehabilitation.

He was sentenced to two years, suspended for two years, with 80 hours unpaid work and rehabilitation requirements.

Recorder Rippon told him: "You must regard this as you absolute last chance."