A shoplifter hurled a bottle at a Co-Op manager while fleeing with stolen goods
Ashby: So, there was this wild incident at a Co-Op where a shoplifter named Thomas Courtney threw a water bottle at the store manager. This all went down last June when he was on a bit of a stealing spree in North West Leicestershire.
He walked into the Co-Op on Derby Road, grabbed a basket full of groceries worth about £59, and just strolled out. The manager saw him and gave chase, but Courtney wasn’t having it. He chucked the bottle at the manager and made a run for it, jumping into his car and driving off to Whitwick.
Once in Whitwick, he hit up another Co-Op, this time snatching another £40 worth of groceries. But guess what? The police were already waiting for him as he tried to leave. When they approached, he casually admitted, “I haven’t paid for these.” Talk about a lack of awareness!
Turns out, the cops had linked him to the earlier theft thanks to his car’s registration plate. They found the stolen goods in his vehicle. In court, it came out that this was his first time getting caught for stealing, although he had a record for assault and driving issues.
The bottle he threw did hit the manager, but thankfully, it didn’t cause any injuries. His lawyer mentioned that Courtney was going through a tough time, being homeless and using cocaine daily. But now, he’s turned things around, living with his mom and cutting back on the drugs.
In court, he pleaded guilty to two counts of shop theft and one for assault. The magistrates gave him a 12-month conditional discharge and told him to pay some court costs and a victim surcharge. He seemed pretty grateful, saying, “Thank you very much.”
