Serial thief tells court: ‘This is the first time in jail that I want to change’
Serial thief Reece Smith(Image: Humberside Police)
A prolific thief who had “only ever known drug dealing, drug taking and committing offences” has been jailed after his latest spree of shoplifting bagged him lucrative hauls totalling nearly £1,100. Crack cocaine and heroin user Reece Smith brazenly targeted some stores where he was already banned and, on one occasion, he assaulted a member of staff.
He had never worked but he claimed that he was now free of drugs and finally wanted to change his ways, Hull Crown Court heard. Smith, 32, formerly of Ceylon Street, east Hull, but recently in custody on remand, admitted 13 offences of theft, six of breaching a criminal behaviour order and another of assault, between May 6 and 31.
Sophie Lamb, prosecuting, said that the criminal behaviour order was made by Hull magistrates on January 1 this year. It banned him from a number of stores in the city, including Sainsbury’s Local, Tesco, Home Bargains and Heron Foods, but he breached the order by going there and shoplifting again.
The thefts included:
• May 6 – items including chocolates, sandwiches, washing pods and liquid detergents, valued at £110, from Tesco Express in Market Place, Hull.
• May 9 – items including detergent, valued at £80, from Sainsbury’s Local in Ings Road, east Hull, where he was banned.
• May 13 – items including razor blades, washing pods, biscuits and sweets, valued at £210, from Tesco Express in Pioneer Way, Kingswood, Hull.
• May 19 – items including beer, vape sets, chocolate bars, power banks and phone chargers, valued at £152, from Heron Foods at Grampian shopping centre, Bransholme, Hull.
• May 19 – items including wash powders and yoghurt, valued at £60.50, from Heron Foods at Grampian shopping centre.
• May 22 – items including washing-up liquid, washing tablets, chocolates and sweets, valued at £60, from Tesco Express in Pioneer Way.
• May 23 – items including laundry products and drinks, valued at £41, from Heron Foods at Grampian shopping centre.
• May 24 – items including two sets of earphones and five mobile phone power banks, valued at £80.93, from Home Bargains in Bude Road, Bransholme.
• May 25 – two speakers and a carrier bag of goods, valued at £50, from B&M in Oslo Road, Sutton Fields, Hull.
• May 25 – items including steaks, three boxes of chocolates, washing tablets and sweets, valued at £68.50, from Sainsbury’s Local in Ings Road.
• May 26 – four bottles of vodka, valued at £75.96, from B&M in Oslo Road.
• May 27 – washing products, valued at £45, from Heron Foods at Grampian shopping centre. A member of staff saw Smith and challenged him. Smith punched him in the head before leaving without the goods.
• May 31 – items including cereal bars and power banks, valued at £62.53, from Home Bargains in Bude Road.
Smith was arrested on June 2. He had been recalled to custody until November. He had convictions for 167 previous offences, 136 of them theft-related.
Smith had had been given a 24-week suspended prison sentence on June 4 last year. This was later activated. He was released from prison on April 28 this year but he was recalled to custody on May 15. “He was at large until he was arrested,” said Miss Lamb.
The court heard that Smith had used drugs, including crack cocaine and heroin, for about eight years. He had previously been homeless and on the streets.
Smith told the court that the only three things that he had ever known were drug dealing, drug taking and committing offences. “I am hoping to get a gardening job,” he said.
Smith said that he had never worked. He had now stopped taking drugs. “I have been clean since I have been back in prison,” he said.
“Hull Prison is rife with drugs. I am keeping out of the way of everything. It’s not been easy, it really hasn’t. This is the first time in jail that I want to change.” He had a son.
Smith was jailed for 18 months.
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