Portsmouth Tesco shoplifters in 'professional gang' spared jail for £3,000 alcohol theft

DEFENDANTS at Portsmouth Magistrates’ Court have been sentenced for their crimes.
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Abigail Crowhurst, 31, of Meyrick Road, Portsmouth, admitted dishonestly failing to notify Portsmouth City Council of a change in circumstance affecting her housing benefit.

Magistrates imposed a 12-month community order with 200 hours' unpaid work.

She must pay a £60 surcharge and £85 costs.

Tesco Extra in Fratton Way, Portsmouth. Picture: GoogleTesco Extra in Fratton Way, Portsmouth. Picture: Google
Tesco Extra in Fratton Way, Portsmouth. Picture: Google
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Martin Alden, 46, of Kingston Road, Portsmouth, admitted burgling a property in Fawcett Road, Southsea, stealing tattoo ink on April 16.

Magistrates imposed a two-year community order with 19 sessions of a thinking skills programme and 15 days' rehabilitation activities.

Alden must complete 150 hours' unpaid work.

He must pay £120 compensation, a £90 surcharge and £85 costs.

Portsmouth Magistrates' Court. Picture: Chris Moorhouse
portsmouth news breakingPortsmouth Magistrates' Court. Picture: Chris Moorhouse
portsmouth news breaking
Portsmouth Magistrates' Court. Picture: Chris Moorhouse portsmouth news breaking

He also admitted failing to comply with sex offenders' registration requirements on April 3, 2019, by completing his yearly registration 21 days late.

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Nicolae-Alexandrv Budencea, 32, of Park Avenue, Barking in Essex, admitted jointly stealing £1,339 worth of alcohol from Tesco in Fratton Way on September 30.

He also admitted two charges of jointly stealing alcohol worth a combined £1,758 at Tesco in Fratton Way and in Eastbourne.

Magistrates imposed a 20-week jail term sentence as he was part of a 'professional gang'.

He must pay £300 compensation, a £128 victim surcharge and £85 costs.

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Albert Mihai, 32, of Park Avenue, Barking, admitted the same charges as Budencea, above, and was handed a 30-week jail term suspended for a year.

He must pay £300 compensation, a £128 victim surcharge and £85 costs.

Charlotte Walsh, 33, of no fixed address, admitted damaging the window on a fire exit at Elmleigh in Havant on November 7 last year.

Magistrates fined her £50 with a £34 surcharge. She was detained in court but this was deemed served as she was held in custody.

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Daniel Grainger, 30, of Highwood Lawn, Warren Park, admitted assault by beating on July 26 last year and damaging a door at Co-op in Havant Road.

Magistrates imposed £200 compensation for the damage but no separate penalty for the assault.

Farouk Alaka, 26, of Brodrick Grove, London, admitted cannabis drug-driving in West Street, Fareham, on February 11.

He was fined £484 with a £48 surcharge and £85 costs.

He was banned from driving for a year.

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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