CCTV shows moment despicable thief stole charity collection box

Stephen Ambler has admitted stealing a Guide Dogs for the Blind charity box.

He was caught on camera walking into the Premier Store in East Rainton on Monday, September 7 and making off with the fundraising box which contained approximately £100.

On the same day, he kicked his way into a family’s shed nearby and snatched a Carrera mountain bike from within.

The 41-year-old pleaded guilty to burglary and theft when he appeared before magistrates in South Tyneside.

He also admitted assaulting an emergency worker after spitting at a nurse while he was receiving treatment at Sunderland Royal Hospital on Thursday, May 28 this year.

Detective Constable Neil Swainston, of Northumbria Police’s Southern Burglary Team, said: “Stephen Ambler showed a total disregard for the law and the community which he lives when he embarked on a 24-hour crime spree.

“For somebody to brazenly steal from a charity which relies on the hard work and dedication of volunteers is quite frankly deplorable. He should be ashamed of his actions.

“It is clear that he had no conscience – as a short time after stealing the charity box, he was seen kicking his way into a shed and making off with a girl’s bike which cost £500.

“Individuals like Ambler cannot be trusted to live in a lawful society so I am pleased that he now begins a spell behind bars.

"I hope he uses this time to think carefully about the consequences of his actions – it’s time for him to grow up.”

In a statement prepared for court, a representative from Guide Dogs for the Blind revealed the timing of the theft was particularly harmful for the charity as it struggled to fundraise during the pandemic.

It read: “The loss of this money will have an impact on the funds of the charity, especially in the current Covid-19 situation as every penny we collect helps fund our day-to-day activities of training and supplying guide dogs for people who require them to live their everyday lives.”

Ambler, of Coalbank Road, Hetton, was jailed for 23 weeks.

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