A prolific shoplifter who stole over £290 of goods from multiple shops in Sandown and Lake has avoided a jail sentence.
Warren Russell, 38, of Howard House on Barton Road in Newport, appeared at the Isle of Wight Magistrates Court on Tuesday and pleaded guilty to 5 charges of theft from a shop, spread between 3 national chain supermarkets.
Magistrates heard that Russell stole a mixture of items, from fish and meats to cosmetics, totalling £291 from Morrisons, Tesco and Coop stores in the Sandown and Lake area, between 24th December 2021 and 6th March 2022.
As previously reported by Island Echo, Russell was handed a 14-week prison sentence back at the end of March after he pleaded guilty to 11 charges of theft from a shop and 1 charge of common assault – between 1st February and 1st March.
In defence, the court heard that Russell was on crack cocaine at the time and had no recollection of the events, adding that he was concerned when he had remembered his actions that he may be going back to prison. They also said that Russell had accepted full culpability for his actions and the consequences of them.
Russell – who has committed over 100 criminal offences – interrupted the bench saying that the awarding of compensation was ‘fine by me’ when he was told the outcome of his case.
He was ordered to pay compensation to all parties involved of £291.70.
Well – that will certainly teach him a lesson not to break the law.
I do think that twenty minutes on the “Naughty Step” should have been added because of the previous 100 offences
In his ‘defence’ he was on crack Cocaine.
He SHOULD be given an even longer sentence for taking illegal drugs, not ‘use’ such as an excuse.
Rubbish like this costs US all more, not the shops as they just add more to items price to cover their loss.
Truly this sort need locking up, and denied all but water and basic food for three years minimum
Committed over 100 criminal offences? no, that is just the ones this full time waste of air has been pulled in for.
What on earth do you have to do for a jail sentence. This scum has stolen again and again with the courts giving no protection for the stores.
It is the public that end up paying for this, ban him from every shop and jail him everytime
he enters one.
Isle of Wight magistrates = morons.
Why? Because they have to follow strict rules/guidelines? Don’t blame them, blame the system the have to endure.
No, when someone comes before them with over 100 previous convictions and they are under a suspended sentence, they should be taken out of society, not fined. This waste of a human skin will simply continue to commit crime because some idiot magistrate hasn’t got enough of a pair to commit him to prison. Probably doesn’t want the paperwork involved.
Because we have filled our country with the worlds finest third world lowlife we now have jails so full we can’t jail our own home grown trash.
No wonder criminality is rife on the island ,we seem to have the softest judges in the country, with no consideration for law abiding members of the public or their businesses
Pathetic waste of everyone’s time. No punishment whatsoever and a green light to anyone wishing to do the same,
Cut off one of his hands…
Please explain
Cut off one of his hands…
That decission, in effect, is getting food on credit. Repay it back at £1 a week.
What about having his picture plastered on the entrance to every shop that wants one so if he is seen entering he can be watched plus also there is no mention that he has been banned from these shops he has already stolen from because if he has and enters that shop again with the intention of stealing, he can be charged with burglary instead of the minor offence of theft.
Literally, what is the point? Might as well not bother having any laws.
Swap him for a deserving Ukrainian family, rather help them then support this deviant.
If this scumbag has carried out 100 offences then easily multiply by 10 for the amount of time he’s out stealing, within days of prison release he was out nicking again so prison did a great job, apparently living in Newport now so will be clearing as many shops there as possible and using benefits to buy drugs, no point in giving him a fine as he won’t be paying any of it
Why the hell didn’t the judge hand down a prison sentence for this waster. 100 offences and still able to walk the island’s streets.
Baffles me. Are these island judges all there up top?