Troublesome brothers locked up after thefts and police attack

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A serial thief and his brother who acted separately to commit 74 shopliftings to fuel their drug habits have been caged.

David Mawson, 45, and Jonjo Mawson, 26, stole thousands of pounds of stock during their independent four-month sprees.

They mainly targeted outlets in Washington between May and August and pinched items including chocolate, meat, butter and cheese.

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The elder sibling, of Wellington Walk, Sulgrave, Washington, also booted a female police officer as she tried to handcuff him as he fled one crime scene.

He then committed further offences while on the run and was only stopped when finally arrested this month.

His brother, 26, of no fixed abode, committed 55 crimes, some while on bail, South Tyneside Magistrates’ Court heard.

David Mawson pleaded guilty to eight new thefts from shop charges and was resentenced for 11.

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He was also found guilty at trial of assaulting an emergency worker and five counts of failing to surrender to custody – and was jailed for 22 weeks.

Jonjo Mawson pleaded guilty to 55 shop thefts, totally around £4,630 – and with a further 19 to be taken into account.

He also admitted two counts of failing to surrender to custody – and was put behind bars for 46 weeks.

Prosecutor Carolyn Craggs said Jonjo Mawson’s offences had “clearly crossed the custody threshold”.

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She made an application for retailer compensation but admitted it was “going to be academic” due to him being unable to repay.

The court heard David Mawson had denied deliberately kicking and bruising the police officer, but the charge was proved.

She said his eight most recent thefts, from Asda, the Co-op and One Stop, had totalled almost £800.

Sandra Fife, who defended both men, said their close-knit family had fragmented after the deaths of their parents.

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Mrs Fife said Jonjo Mawson had been out of trouble between 2009 and 2023, adding: “These offences were 100 percent inquisitive because of drug addiction.

“It’s just a desperation – they’ve got to get money, they’ve got to get drugs.”

David Mawson, who has 12 previous convictions from 32 offences, including 18 thefts, had been out of trouble between 2004 and 2023.

Mrs Fife added: “The motivation for the offences is the same as his brother. It’s all about drug addiction.

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“Some effort has been made, he has attended some drug rehabilitation sessions.”

District Judge Zoe Passfield jailed Jonjo Mawson for 18 concurrent weeks for 21 thefts and to 26 concurrent weeks for 34 thefts, to run consecutively.

She also jailed him for two weeks for failing to surrender, to run consecutively to the other sentences. He must pay a £154 victim surcharge.

Judge Passfield jailed David Mawson for eight weeks each for eight thefts, to run concurrently, and to eight weeks for assault, to run consecutively.

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She revoked and resentenced him for 11 thefts previously subject to a community order and jailed him for four weeks each.

They are to run concurrently to each other but consecutively to his other sentences.

The judge also jailed him for two concurrent weeks for each failing to surrender, to run consecutively to the other offences, with £100 compensation to the officer.  

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