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Thursday, 30 January 2025

British Retail Consortium: Retail Crime "Out of Control"

Retail industry trade association the British Retail Consortium has warned that retail crime is "out of control".

The comment comes with the publication of the BRC's Annual Crime Survey, which highlights a more than three-fold increase in retail violence and abuse since 2020.

Data for the annual survey was collected between 1st September 2023 and 31st August 2024. During that time the cost of crime to the industry was £4.2 billion, of which £2.2 billion was a direct result of customer theft.

On a typical day there were around 2,000 incidents of violence or abuse against retail workers, which signifies an increase of 60 percent on the previous year. Weapons were involved an average of 70 times per day, which represents a 180 percent increase on the previous year.

Retailers reported only a third of violent or abusive incidents to the police, which in turn responded to only a third of those reported. In only 2 percent of cases was there a conviction arising from the violent or abusive behaviour.

When asked why they reported so few cases to the police, the overwhelming opinion was that there was no point as nothing would happen. This is corroborated by almost two-thirds of retailers describing the police response as being "poor" or "very poor".

The industry spent £1.8 billion on crime and loss prevention, which represents a 52 percent increase on the previous year. Around one-tenth of that was spent on cyber crime prevention.

Retailers issued more than 400,000 banning orders to individuals involved in criminality and antisocial behaviour.

Helen Dickinson, Chief Executive of the BRC, said: "Retail crime is spiralling out of control. People in retail have been spat on, racially abused, and threatened with machetes. Every day this continues, criminals are getting bolder and more aggressive. We owe it to the three million hardworking people working in retail to bring the epidemic of crime to heel. No one should go to work in fear.

"With little faith in police attendance, it is no wonder criminals feel they have licence to steal, threaten, assault and abuse. Retailers are spending more than ever before, but they cannot prevent crime alone. We need the police to respond to and handle every reported incident appropriately. We look forward to seeing crucial legislation to protect retail workers being put in place later this year. Only if the industry, Government and police work together, can we finally see this awful trend reverse."

The Government has committed to legislation that will make it a specific offence to assault retail workers. In its manifesto it also pledged to introduce new "respect orders" that could be used to ban persistent adult offenders from retail crime hot spots.

In the short term retailers need to have the confidence that if they report incidents to the police they will receive a response and, where appropriate, be suitably investigated and prosecuted. Retail workers also need to have the confidence that if they intervene to prevent or stop retail crime, they themselves will not fall foul of the law.

Monday, 27 January 2025

Leicester Shop Thief Threatened Security Guard with Syringe

A Leicestershire shop thief threatened a security guard with a syringe needle.

Melvin Freeman, 40, of Oakham Drive, Coalville, denied an offence of common assault, but was convicted following a recent trial at Leicester Magistrates' Court.

He had earlier admitted an offence of shop theft.

Freeman appeared at the same court for sentencing on Thursday, 23rd January 2025.

At the sentencing hearing he also admitted failing to surrender to the custody of the court for his trial, which took place in his absence.

Magistrates heard that 40-year-old heroin addict was stopped by staff as he tried to walk out of the Co-Op, Cropston Drive, Coalville, with £25 worth of chocolate.

Staff were forced to release Freeman when he threatened one of them, a security guard, with a syringe needle.

Freeman denied having threatened anyone, but as he failed to attend his trial the matter proceeded on the prosecution's evidence.

Sukhy Basi, prosecuting, told the court that Freeman had previous convictions in relation to 19 offences.

Amena Aijaz, mitigating, told the court that her client had felt threatened by the security guard.

She said: "He was walking out with those chocolates and the security guard had grabbed him by his hood and dragged him to the back room.

"He felt he was being strangled. The CCTV does show the security guard using quite a lot of force against Freeman."

Asked why her client had produced the syringe needle at staff, Ms Aijaz said that he had been asked to empty his pockets and obligingly did so.

Asked why her client had failed to attend for trial, she said: "He failed to attend court because Mr Freeman is a class A drug user. On this occasion he didn't feel too great after he had taken some heroin."

The court also heard that Freeman was subject to a community order imposed by the Crown Court in relation to two offences of possession of a bladed article.

The Probation Service had noted his poor level of compliance, having attended only two out of eighteen appointments, and stated an unwillingness to work with Freeman in the future.

Ms Aijaz said that her client felt "set up to fail" by the order, but had been clean of heroin for a fortnight. In the circumstances, she asked Magistrates to consider a conditional discharge.

Meanwhile, back in the real world, Magistrates were of the view that Freeman's offences were so serious that only a custodial sentence was appropriate. However, given his tentative steps towards recovery, they elected to suspend the custodial term.

Freeman was sentenced to five weeks' custody suspended for 12 months.

He was also ordered to pay £100 towards prosecution costs and £154 surcharge.

Robert Boden, Presiding Justice, said: "Obviously you are clearly not co-operating with the existing community order. The reason we're not imposing an immediate custodial sentence is your solicitor said you had been making an effort recently."

Saturday, 25 January 2025

Magistrates "Disgusted" at Norwich Man Who Spat in Police Officer's Face

Magistrates said they were "disgusted" at the vile behaviour of a Norwich man who spat in the face of a police officer.

Daniel Dziaduch, 26, of Rosary Road, Norwich, admitted assault on an emergency worker when he appeared earlier at Norwich Magistrates' Court. He was sentenced at the same court last week.

Assault on an emergency worker is an offence under section 1(1) of the Assaults on Emergency Workers (Offences) Act 2018. It has a maximum sentence of 12 months' custody and/or an unlimited fine on summary conviction; 2 years' custody and/or an unlimited fine on conviction on indictment.

Magistrates heard that Dziaduch, a Polish national, was being held in custody at the police investigation centre in Wymondham on Saturday, 27th July 2024.

An officer opened the hatch of Dziaduch's cell door to check on his welfare. As he did so the 26-year-old spat through the aperture and onto the officer's face and upper body.

James Burrows, mitigating, told the court that his client "feels considerable shame at his actions" - as he should.

Magistrates were of the view that the offence was serious enough to merit a community order.

Addressing Dziaduch, the Presiding Justice said: "We are quite frankly disgusted and appalled that this should happen to one of our police officers.

"The stress this caused them due to the health worries is incalculable. There is absolutely no excuse for it."

Dziaduch was handed a 12-month community order, with the requirements that he completes 120 hours' unpaid work and up to 10 days' rehabilitation activity.

He was also ordered to pay £150 in compensation to the officer, £114 surcharge and £45 towards prosecution costs.

Friday, 24 January 2025

Newcastle Woman Convicts Ex-Partner of Assault from the Grave

A recently deceased Newcastle woman has convicted her ex-partner of assault from the grave.

Jason Hoganson, 53, denied a charge of assault by beating and two charges of breaching a restraining order.

He was convicted of all three offences following a trial at Newcastle Magistrates' Court on Friday, 24th January 2025.

Former Hollywood actor Hoganson, who sports very distinctive body art, made the headlines when he was photographed being released from HMP Durham on 10th September 2024, which was the first day of the Government's early release scheme.

The 53-year-old was serving an 18-month sentence for assaulting his ex-partner, Rachel Usher, and breaching a restraining order that bans him from all contact with her. He was released at around the half-way mark.

A week prior to his release Hoganson further breached the order by sending Ms Usher a letter. Within a few hours of being released he attended Ms Usher's home, again in breach of the order, to give her another slap. Hoganson denied these offences, which were the subject of the trial.

Ms Usher very sadly died on 30th October, having already made a statement to the police about Hoganson assaulting her on 11th September. Deputy District Judge Natalie Wortley, presiding, had previously ruled that this statement could be admitted as hearsay evidence during the trial.

Lisa Callum, prosecuting, read Ms Usher's statement to the court. In it she described how she had just ventured out for some shopping. She was waiting in the stairwell for her lift to arrive when she saw Hoganson running towards the block.

Ms Usher's statement continued: "He opened the door of the stairwell and slapped me across the side of my face.

"He was shouting and bawling and seemed really angry. He called me a slut and said there was someone in my flat.

"He said can we go somewhere and when I said no he got even more angry."

Ms Usher said that the slap was powerful, but had caused no injury.

Hoganson denied slapping Ms Usher, saying that he had visited the block to collect some belongings from a friend who also lived there.

He said that he bumped into Ms Usher when he was using the lift.

Hoganson said: "Obviously she panicked. She came straight for me and went to attack me. I've moved out of the way down the stairs. I've never attacked Rachel. I never even spoke to her, I just wanted to get out of there."

Ms Callum asked Hoganson why his friend was not present in court to corroborate his story. Hoganson replied that the man and Ms Usher had been having an affair. He then started shouting obscenities from the dock, which resulted in his removal from the courtroom.

Just like Judge Rinder, DDJ Wortley can smell a lie like a fart in a lift. That being the case, she had no difficulty in convicting Hoganson of all three offences. The judge noted that Hoganson's account of bumping into Ms Usher was inconsistent with CCTV footage.

Hoganson was further remanded in custody until his sentencing at Newcastle Crown Court on Tuesday, 25th February 2025.