Shoplifter who threatened staff with syringe finally jailed over thefts from Northampton Co-op

Magistrates finally jailed a serial shoplifter for 18 weeks over thefts from a Co-op store where he previously threatened staff with a syringe.

Richard George Prescott, aged 49, admitted three charges of stealing meat from stores in Rectory Farm and Bellinge in February 2022.

But he had already been spared prison TWICE in the last 14 months.

Prescott was given a suspended sentence and had a court order banning him from even going near the shop in Fieldmill Road after an astonishing 25 THEFTS in less than a month.

In March this year, magistrates again decided against putting him behind bars following a number of high-value thefts from Tesco.

Court documents showed Prescott stole meat worth £85 from the Olden Road Co-op plus two hauls of meat value unknown on three successive days from Fieldmill Road, on February 8, 9 and 10 this year.

He was ordered to pay a total of £85 compensation and sentenced to two concurrent terms of eight weeks.

Northampton magistrates also activated his previous suspended sentence as a ten-week term, running consecutive to the other two.

Prescott, of Greendale Square, Ecton Brook, appeared at court last July when he admitted threatening to stab shocked staff with a syringe while stealing items including booze, quiches, toilet roll, sandwiches, coffee pods and pizzas from the Bellinge Co-op between May 22 and June 23, 2021.

On June 5 he visited the store FOUR TIMES to steal boxes of wine and lamb — and four times again just three days later.

After taking lamb chops, lamb steaks, pork belly beef steaks and flowers on his first visit, he went back for fabric conditioner, dishwasher tables and meat; then three rump steaks and three sirloin steaks; and finally more dishwasher tablets.

On five occasions when staff bravely challenged him, Prescott assaulted them including one incident where a man was threatened with a syringe.

A two-year criminal behaviour order, which followed a police application to the Crown Prosecution Service, means Prescott is barred from anywhere in Fieldmill Road until July 2023.

Yet, just a few days after that hearing, the 48-year-old was caught attempting to steal a 24 inch TV from the Weston Favell Tesco — having already walked out with two vacuum cleaners.