A drug addict tried to steal money through a security screen using a large spoon, British police reported.
CCTV footage from the Hyson Green Post Office in Nottingham on Feb. 10 showed Jelanie Scott, 36, who leaned on crutches, in the corner of the room trying to get under the protective screen.
The staff quickly noticed him as he used a spoon and reached through the small gap at the bottom of the security screen on the counter. The panic alarm triggered, and smoke filled the post office as Scott fled.
"There was overwhelming evidence in this case, and I am pleased Scott has been held to account for his actions," Sgt. Mark Southgate of the City Central neighborhood police team in Nottinghamshire said.
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"He told officers it was a stupid thing to do, and I hope he now reflects on his behavior and stays out of trouble," Southgate said.
Nottinghamshire police arrested Scott and charged him with attempted burglary. The Nottingham Magistrates’ Court on Feb. 21 then sentenced him to a six-month drug rehabilitation program and fined him fees and court costs totaling £283 (around $360).
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Scott appeared to have suffered some injury to his foot, hopping away with one crutch to support him as he escaped the building along with other customers when the smoke filled the room.
Police had an easy time identifying Scott since he dropped his debit card before he managed to flee in a taxi. Police recognized him from CCTV and arrested him just a week later after locating him on a town road.
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Scott pleaded guilty and admitted to the crimes, saying he had suffered mental anguish and had taken drugs – cocaine and heroin – shortly before the incident.
Shoplifting and thefts in the U.K. have increased in recent months, according to the New York Times. One shop owner told the Times that he has to deal with three or four robberies a day, saying, "It’s like the Wild West out there at the moment."
The article claimed that opportunistic shoplifters, marauding teenagers, drug addicts and organized gangs have largely driven the looting surge.
Shoplifting incidents increased by 25% for the year ending June 2023, according to official crime data from the British Office for National Statistics.
