A MAN who went on a shoplifting spree in Salisbury and caused £5,000 of damage to a window has been ordered to pay compensation.
Ross Martin Burns, who gave a care of address at Long Close in Downton, admitted four offences of theft from a shop, another of criminal damage and one of obstructing/ resisting a constable in the execution of their duty. The 31-year-old appeared for sentencing at Salisbury magistrates’ court on Thursday, December 10.
Prosecutor David Fosler described the shoplifting offences, which happened on September 25 and November 19, 20 and 25 of last year in Salisbury, as “unsophisticated”.
Hair straighteners and toiletries worth more than £60 were stolen from TK Maxx, along with a coffee machine costing £209.99 from Dinghams, a coat and three bottles of wine valued at £100 from Marks and Spencer, and a coat from Mountain Warehouse. The goods taken from Marks and Spencer and Mountain Warehouse were recovered.
In relation to the criminal damage incident on November 24, 2019, Mr Fosler told the court that it was “throwing out time” and at around 3.15am the defendant was drunk and “vented his anger and frustration” on a window at Shirley Snells Florist on Milford Street - causing £5,000 worth of damage. Members of door staff nearby saw what was happening and tried to restrain Burns, taking him to the ground and the police were called.
The court heard when police arrived Burns had calmed down but became agitated when the door staff started coming back towards him and “kicked out”, catching the left leg of PC Casey. No injury was caused to her leg and the officer had said the kick was “not aimed at her but hit her in any event”.
Burns, who was unrepresented, said the offences happened “quite a while ago” and said a rehabilitation requirement would be “helpful”. He told the court he had been teaching English to international students but had lost his job due to Covid-19.
Burns said: “That whole period in my life I was going through some difficulties. I’m embarrassed by the things I’ve done and did, particularly the damage to the window.”
The chairman of the magistrates’ bench, Timothy Foster, said: “You told us earlier on that this was a bad period in your life. I hope things have moved on but you are going to have to face the consequences of this little spree.”
For the shoplifting offences he was given a community order of 12-months and ordered to complete up to ten rehabilitation activity requirement days, as well as to undertake a drug rehabilitation requirement. He was also given 100 hours of unpaid work.
Burns was also ordered to pay compensation of £69.98 to TK Maxx, £209.99 to Dinghams, as well as £100 in relation to the criminal damage at Shirley Snells Florist. The defendant will also have to pay court costs of £85 and a victim surcharge of £90. There was no separate penalty for the offence of resisting or obstructing a police officer.
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