A TEENAGER has admitted carrying out a robbery and shoplifting at the same village store, on the same day.

Appearing by video link from Durham Prison to a plea hearing at the nearby crown court, Kyle Zelinka admitted charges of theft of bottles of alcohol from the Village News, in Easington Village, plus robbery of a female assistant at the Low Row store, stealing cigarettes, both on Tuesday February 18.

Ian West, prosecuting, told the court the offences put the defendant in breach of a suspended prison sentence for a previous robbery conviction.

Zelinka, of Station Road, Shotton Colliery, and a co-accused, then both 18, were given 20-month prison sentences, suspended for two years, at the court in February 2019.

It related to a street robbery in which they took a mobile phone, keys and a bank card from another youth before damaging the door of a newsagents’ store, in Peterlee, in November 2018.

Mr West said the judge who dealt with that offence and imposed the suspended sentence reserved any breaches to himself and, therefore, should deal with the breach and sentence in this case.

Judge James Adkin agreed and asked the Probation Service to draw up a report into Zelinka’s background prior to the sentencing hearing.

He asked the author of that report to assess the perceived risk of future serious offences posed by Zelinka.

Addressing Zelinka, he told him: “You have now pleaded guilty and will be sentenced on April 9.

“You should expect to receive a custodial sentence.”