Thief jailed after targeting Sunderland shop three times in less than a week

Liam Ellison jointly stole more than £1,000 worth of food and booze from the Harbour View service station, in Dame Dorothy Street, Roker, Sunderland, between August 31 and September 5.

Just two days later he was also discovered illegally carrying a machete in West Sunniside, in the centre of the city, and was hauled before court the following day.

South Tyneside Magistrates’ Court has now jailed him for a total of 10 months after he admitted the three thefts and unlawful possession of a bladed article.

He received six months for the machete conviction after the court learned it was his third bladed article offence.

Ellison, 31, of no fixed address, also received four months in prison for the thefts after the court decided that each count was “so serious because the offence was aggravated by the defendant’s previous record of offending”.

During the first incident, on August 31, he stole £800 of food and alcohol from the service station shop with a second person.

He then jointly stole £200 of similar items on September 2 before stealing £100 of food and alcohol with a second person on September 5.

Ellison, whose guilty pleas were taken into account when passing sentence, was also ordered by the court to pay £500 in compensation with the sum due to be paid by the end of February next year.

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