Select a region
A shoplifter who bit a store detective through two layers of clothing and left a scar has been sentenced to 120 hours of community service and ordered to pay £1,000 in compensation.
Manuel Antonio Marques Duarte committed the grave and criminal assault the second time he stole from the supermarket, the Magistrate's Court heard.
On 10 December, Duarte stole £374 worth of groceries from Waitrose Red Houses by pushing his trolley out of the store without paying.
Legal adviser Louisa Stuart, prosecuting, said he then returned five days later and tried to make off with another trolley containing £211 of shopping.
She added that as soon as Duarte heard that the police had been called he became aggressive.
The 60-year-old tried to struggle free from the staff member who was restraining him, biting him on the arm and leaving a scar.
Duarte admitted grave and criminal assault, being disorderly on premises, and two counts of theft.
Advocate Chris Baglin, defending, accepted that Duarte had “clearly crossed the custodial threshold” but argued for a community service order, pointing out out that Duarte had expressed his remorse and pleaded guilty – and had been drinking at the time.
Advocate Baglin said: “There has never been any violence before. This was borne out of alcohol. None of this would have happened had he been sober.”
Relief Magistrate Peter Harris ordered Duarte to pay the victim £600 in compensation, saying: “The action of biting was clearly criminal, and the fact that it went that it went through two layers of clothes shows how hard the bite must have been.
“It was so serious that you were at risk of going to prison.”
Duarte was also ordered to pay Waitrose £400 for the groceries stolen on the first occasion, which had not been recovered.
Comments
Comments on this story express the views of the commentator only, not Bailiwick Publishing. We are unable to guarantee the accuracy of any of those comments.