Serial shoplifter Warren Russell – who admitted yet more dishonesty offences last month – has somehow avoided jail and been given one last chance to stay out of trouble. Russell, 40, of no fixed abode, appeared once again before the Isle of Wight Magistrates Court, via video link from HMP Isle of Wight, last Tuesday (16th July) where he was sentenced for 3x theft from a shop and 1x attempted theft from a shop. Just weeks after being released from prison, on 7th June, Russell entered Sainsbury’s on Union Street and stole 6 Taste The Difference steaks and some Red Bull, valued at around £38.20. On the 16th June, he entered the store again and stole 12 tubes of Oral-B toothpaste and 11 cans of Dove and Sure deodorant totalling £115.00. Finally, on 16th June, Russell stole some Lenor fabric conditioner, Fairy pods and a sandwich totalling £58.60. Russell also attempted to steal items from Iceland on High Street on 14th June but was stopped at the door of the supermarket and gave the goods over. Having admitted to committing the crimes back on 25th June, Russell was offered the chance of bail but refused it stating he would rather be inside than back on the streets homeless. The 40-year-old has appeared on Island Echo on numerous occasions. He has now massed up a mammoth record of over 115 convictions and in 2023 alone he appeared in court no less than 4 times and completed 3 stints in prison. He was handed a Criminal Behaviour Order back in March which prevented him from entering certain premises that he had been previously banned from. In April, Russell was jailed for 30 weeks but was released earlier than planned – in mid-May. Defending, Michael McGoldrick told the court that upon his release from prison, Russell was immediately street homeless and was living in a tent on Ryde Seafront until it was vandalised. He also added that Russell wanted to ‘tackle his demons’ and sort his life out. Magistrates opted not to send Russell to prison and instead made the 40-year-old subject to a 2-year probation order with an alcohol treatment requirement attached. Russell was also ordered to pay £211.80 compensation to Sainsbury’s.
ONE LAST CHANCE GIVEN TO PROLIFIC SHOPLIFTER WARREN RUSSELL
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He should be in jail.
I blame the black market for trouser steaks
One last chance?? What a joke. And how will he pay his fine? By selling stolen goods?
The guy clearly is not able to manage and each time arrested,cost of Court, Legal aid etc cost far more than find him some sort of HMO,how many times has he said he’d rather be in prison than on streets,look at today I would rather be in prison,got food,bed,shower etc. He’s not like some of gangs in our cities making people’s life hell with protection rackets, corruption,theft,sexual exploration etc,this idiot in the main is stealing food etc,not even high-end trainer’s or electrical. Seems to want to get caught
As clearly not quite right we need more Asylums built to house mentally damaged criminals. For the public and shop workers should not have to face people like this daily.
Either you are mental, or evil, BUT either way it needs to be removed from normal society, and it is like cheaper to lock it up for good than fund the Police, court and HMO housing costs and misery it brings to decent workers.
I would prefer it hung, but if we must keep people alive, keep them away from decent folk.
Not ‘hung’…..’hanged’. A picture is hung, a man is hanged.
Lock the waste of space up,,for a long time.
This bloke needs help.
Why doesn’t he get a place on the Bibby Stockholm, where he will have a safe place to stay (better than the streets)? He will also have access to showers, clean clothes, three meals a day, and access to a dentist and a psychiatrist. He would also be allowed to travel to the nearby town to access further support. Perhaps he would have a tag so the local cop shop could keep track of his whereabouts.
The guy said he would rather be in jail, which would prevent him from sleeping rough.
Oh, I see he has been fined. Since he has no money, how will he pay the fine? He will probably re-offend to pay the fine.
Our judicial system is broken.
“Lie”-bour have just announced that they are closing it.
Very true, ex QC Starmer is proof of a
Broken system, ask the people of Rochdale
Lol
So nice that he has been given one last chance and now he knows that we will never see him on Island echo again……… NOT
How many more “last chances” does this scum get, it will never change and within days it will be stealing again
Within 24hrs of release he will be stealing again, he’s always done it wherever he is put on the island, perhaps move him to London so when he constantly steals the shopkeepers will deal with him a different way than the lenient courts.
Sentenced in April to 30 weeks prison and is released in May, exactly how does that work then and what is the point in sentencing when before you are out half way through now it’s barely 5% through the sentence, it’s all become a joke this country
should be taken to culver and encouraged to take a step forward – after all, he is a worthless p rick, that is of no use to society whatsoever and everyone would benefit if he ceased to exist.
Maths not your strongpoint then.
Rwanda. I’ll contribute to the flight ticket.
What is the Island doing about Prolific speeders,
“speeding kills”
How many last chances adds up to a last chance he should be made to work to pay back the money he has put on the rise in prices for honest people after he is banged up for at least six months .