A SERIAL shoplifter bit a man on the arm when he tried to stop him stealing washing detergent to fund his drug habit.

Mark Bird, who has a long history of theft, attacked the shop worker as he tried to hold onto him until police arrived at the scene following the daylight raid on the garage shop.

Teesside Crown Court heard how the 37-year-old and an unknown accomplice targeted the shop at the Esso garage on Birchington Avenue, Grangetown, near Middlesbrough.

Jon Harley, prosecuting, said CCTV footage showed Bird and another man walk into the shop before filling a bag with washing detergent and attempting to flee the scene.

He said: “He was able to pursue to the two and caught Mr Bird, who was the second of the two to leave the store, he got hold of him and dragged him back into the store.

“Mr Bird struggled against this, fought back and during the course of this struggle he bit the man on the arm, causing reddening to the arm and bleeding.”

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Bird, of Eglington Road, Middlesbrough, was found guilty of theft and assault occasioning actual bodily harm in his absence when he failed to attend his trial at Teesside Magistrates’ Court following the incident on November 14 last year.

The Northern Echo: The Esso garage on Birchington Avenue, Grangetown. Picture: GOOGLEThe Esso garage on Birchington Avenue, Grangetown. Picture: GOOGLE

He also pleaded guilty to an offence of failing to surrender to custody from April 6 this year.

The court heard how Bird had 25 convictions for 62 offences, predominantly for theft but also for burglary and robbery.

John Nixon, in mitigation, said his client had a long history of drug dependency and had cleaned up his act since he was remanded in custody earlier this month.

He added: “The defendant is man with a significant record, it is almost exclusively drugs-related and he acknowledges it has had a deep-seated dependency which he hasn’t been able to deal with that adequately.”

Recorder Nathan Adams sentenced Bird to an 18-month community order with a drug rehabilitation requirement to address his dependency issues.

He said: “What started out as a shoplifting offence escalated when the store worker tried to detain you. You fought back and bit him, biting is treated particularly seriously because it is particularly unpleasant for the victim, even though in this case no significant injury was caused.”

The defendant was also ordered to attend 12 rehabilitation activity requirement days.

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