A MAN who was subject to a suspended prison sentence put his liberty at risk by taking part in an early hours’ store shoplifting trip.

Orrin John Clennell narrowly avoided an immediate prison sentence when he appeared at Durham Crown Court in November, to answer for an incident of domestic violence.

He admitted a charge of assault causing actual bodily harm, as a result of an attack on an ex-partner, in the presence of her child, in June last year.

The 35-year-old, of Coldstream, in Ouston, near Chester-le-Street, was given an eight-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, during which he was made subject to probation supervision.

Liam O’Brien, prosecuting, told the court that despite having the threat of the custodial element being activated by committing a further crime, Clennell was back in court to answer for an alleged theft earlier this year.

Mr O’Brien said Clennell, accompanied by a known “associate”, went into a 24-hour supermarket, in Stanley, shortly before 2.30am, on Wednesday January 14.

They went to the electronics department and removed three tablet computers and a mobile phone, with a total value of £306, from a display cabinet to which only store staff should have access.

Although they left with the stolen items their activities were captured on in-store cctv and both were recognised.

Clennell was arrested on February 10 and when interviewed he accepted it was him on the footage, but made no further comment.

Mr O’Brien said the stolen items were not recovered, leading to a loss of the full £306 to the store group.

The court heard Clennell’s co-accused, who was also arrested, is awaiting the outcome of his case in the magistrates’ court.

Clennell admitted the theft charge before magistrates in Consett, last month, but as the offence put him in breach of the suspended sentence, the case was sent to the crown court.

David Lamb, mitigating, described it as, “an unsophisticated theft”, and a vastly dissimilar offence to the one for which he received the suspended sentence.

Mr Lamb added that otherwise, Clennell has responded well to the supervision element of the suspended sentence.

Judge Simon Hickey said it was “a very difficult call”, but he was just able to activate the prison sentence, given the different nature of the offence.

He fined Clennell £150 and ordered him to pay the store compensation for half the value of the stolen items, £153, plus a £20 statutary surcharge.

Telling Clennell he was, “very lucky”, Judge Hickey warned any further breach would, almost certainly, result in a custodial outcome.