Man jailed for shoplifting meat worth nearly £150 from Co-op in Tring

Stephen Hardwick, aged 51, of Croxley View, Watford, was charged with three counts of theft from a shop, actual bodily harm and criminal damage.

On Friday, August 19 last year, Hardwick entered the Co-op in Silk Mill Way, Tring, and stole refrigerated meat worth £79. He placed the items in a large brown patterned bag for life before leaving without making any attempt to pay.

The following day (Monday, August 20) he entered the same store with the same bag for life and placed meat items into the bag before leaving without paying.

He returned around a minute later with the bag, which had been emptied, and took more packaged meat. The meat was worth £68.05.

On Wednesday, October 10, he entered the Waitrose store in Homestead Road, Rickmansworth. Hardwick selected a large jute bag before making his way to the fish and meat aisle.

He selected Elderflower gin, fillet steaks and Cote De Boeuf before leaving without making any attempt to pay.

Once outside the shop, Hardwick was challenged by the store’s security staff who took him back to the manager’s office.

During this time he asked to go to the toilet and caused damage inside one of the cubicles. He then struck out against staff causing one of them to suffer an injury to their thumb.

Hardwick pleaded guilty to all the offences at Hatfield Remand Court on January 29 and was also dealt with for breaching his suspended sentence.

He was jailed for a total of 28 weeks and must pay £200 in compensation to the staff member – a man - who was injured.