A MAN HAS been jailed for 14 months after being found guilty of five counts of thefts from a shop, two of burglary and two counts of assault by beating.
Mana Gill, 28 of no fixed address, has also been convicted of one count of attempted theft from a shop and will have to pay a £228 victims’ surcharge. The charges relate to shops in Bedworth.
On August 25, Gill filled a basket at a shop on Goodyers End Lane with £115.20 worth of confectionary and walked out without attempting to pay.
This was the first of five thefts from the same store.
Three days later, Gill returned and filled another basket with items and once again left without paying.
On September 2, he helped himself to three bottles of alcohol worth £60. and returned again on September 7 to pilfer another three bottles worth £54.50.
He then waited a few weeks, before returning to the Bedworth store on September 21 to steal another two bottles of spirits, worth £40.
Assaulted staff
For a change, on September 22, Gill visited a different store on Mill Street in Bedworth and attempted to force the drawers open on the payment tills to steal cash from them.
Members of staff stopped him and he left empty-handed.
Later that day, Gill tried to walk out of another store on Mill Street with 16 packets of painkillers (about £54 worth) and was again stopped by staff.
While being escorted from the store, he became aggressive and assaulted the two employees who were leading him by the arms, attempting to pull and push them around and causing bruises to both.
As he was doing so, Gill was recorded as trying to explain he needed the cash for drugs.
During September, Gill also committed two burglaries at the same house in Bedworth.
On September 19, Gill visited an address on Newcome Road, leaving with £700 in his pocket which belonged to the owners.
On September 21, he revisited the address and gained entry through the back door, intending to take more cash but on this occasion leaving empty handed.
Gill was arrested on September 22 at the store on Mill Street where he assaulted the members of staff.
Drug habit
He claims the thefts were for the purpose of selling the items to support a drug habit, spending around £20 per day on heroin.
His sentence was handed to him at Warwick Crown Court last Friday.
PC Sembi said “Mana Gill fed his heroin habit by stealing from shops and selling the goods on to other members of the community looking for cheaper products than those available legitimately.
“Purchasing stolen goods funds burglary and theft, and it also provides a means for people with addictions to illicit substances to hurt themselves and their communities further.
“Make sure that, if someone is offering you a deal that looks too good to be true, it isn’t at the expense of someone else.
“Gill has 14 months to reconsider his life choices and to find support for his addiction.”
