Sunderland thief targeted sweet and savoury treats during Greggs raids

Carl Lawton, 36, made off with a glazed Yum Yum doughnut, chocolate brownie, caramel shortbread and chocolate cake.

Lawton, of Cheltenham Road, in Hylton Castle, also revealed an appetite for chicken goujons and a prawn layered salad.

And he washed them down with three bottles of soft drinks, magistrates in South Tyneside were told.

The goods were among a total of £35.65 of stock he stole from the firm’s branches in city centre Fawcett Street and Union Street.

Lawton targeted the Fawcett Street outlet on June 24, making off with £17 of items.

Three days later, he committed his first of two thefts at the Union Street shop, taking £7.75 of products.

He finished his thieving by taking £13.20 of items from the same store on July 14, prosecutor Glenda Beck said.

Mrs Beck added: “There’s some degree of planning to them as they are all against Greggs.”

Lawton admitted three counts of theft from a shop.

Geoff Smith, defending, said Lawton’s new offences could have been dealt with at his court hearing in July, at which he was made subject to a community order.

He told magistrates: “The best thing to do is to make him pay compensation.

“Had the court been able to deal with these matters, the community sentence I don’t think would have been any different.”

Magistrates ordered Lawton to pay full compensation. They did not impose court costs or a victim surcharge.