Seaham man targeted pharmacy area of Boots with claw hammer

Kenneth Bell was seen in the Church Street branch of Boots, in Seham, on the morning of July 30 this year.

Durham Crown Court was told that he was known to have been barred from the premises three years earlier but had frequently been back asking for the ban to be lifted.

Martin Towers, prosecuting, said he was well known to the two pharmacy assistants who recognised him that morning, despite having taken steps to try to conceal his identity by placing his hooded top over his face and borrowing some orange gloves from some builders working nearby.

(Image: Internet) He was wearing the orange gloves when he entered the store wearing a blue and white medical face mask, while also holding a claw hammer.

Mr Towers said the defendant shouted to the assistants not to come near to him before he began smashing the gents’ fragrance cabinet with the hammer.

He placed products from the shattered cabinet into a bag for life and did the same after smashing the female fragrance cabinet.

Bell took more products before running from the premises, having been witnessed in the latter stages of the crime by the store manager, who was alerted by a staff member.

Mr Towers said an inventory confirmed the defendant took products valued at £418, but a further £887-worth were left in an unsaleable condition while a number of cabinets were smashed and had to be replaced and more stock had to be ordered.

The store was also closed for three-and-a-half hours for a clean up of the damage, having an impact on trade and people arriving to collect pre-ordered prescriptions.

Mr Towers said it also had an impact on staff members who were worried about Bell entering the premises in future.

When he was later arrested, the defendant made no comment and, when he appeared before magistrates, in the early stages of proceedings. he raised an issue about identity.

But, at a previous plea hearing at the crown court, he admitted charges of theft and going equipped to steal.

The court heard that the 43-year-old defendant of Ilchester Street, Seaham, has 15 past offences on his record, including convictions for knife possession and shop lifting.

But he had a long gap in offending prior to October last year when he was arrested for possessing heroin and assaulting an emergency worker, for which he was sentenced in April this year.

(Image: The Northern Echo) Helen Towers, representing the defendant, told the court that the defendant has been in custody from August 1, since when he has been working with drug reduction services available for curb his heroin use, which has proved effective.

She said he also now acknowledges the fear of the store staff who witnessed his offending that morning and he accepts they would have felt intimidated by his actions.

“His relevant previous offences were 11 years ago and there has been a gap in his offending.

“He has a determination and a demonstration now to address the sources of his offending.”

Miss Towers said online gambling has also been an issue for the defendant contributing to him being in the position for finds himself at the moment.

“He acknowledges it is no-one’s fault but his own, but he has been remanded since August 1, a period in custody he has benefited from, having given him a short, sharp shock, but during which he has benefited from the assistance of the Probation Service.”

Miss Towers added that the defendant would benefit from the chance of further rehabilitation in the community.

Judge Deborah Sherwin said anyone in the shop witnessing the defendant’s actions would have feared him turning the hammer on them that morning.

But she said she accepts even he is now appalled at his behaviour and, after more than two months in custody, during which he has worked to overcome his heroin misuse, she could suspended the inevitable prison sentence.

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Imposing an eight-month sentence, suspended for two years, Judge Sherwin also ordered Bell to undergo a nine-month drug rehabilitation review programme and attend 15 probation-run rehabilitation activity days.

She warned Bell to “keep his nose clean”, to keep away from Boots, and not to make a nuisance of himself, or he will be soon back before the court and behind bars again.

His first drug monitoring review will be in four weeks to ensure he is continuing to move in the right direction away from heroin misuse.