A man has narrowly avoided jail following an eight-month crime spree which saw him steal a bike, threaten corner shop staff and assault his partner.
Aaron Yallop, 41, of Gaywood Road in Lynn, appeared at the town’s magistrates’ court on Thursday for multiple offences.
They included taking a bicycle without consent, possession of a Class A drug, assault by beating, theft and threatening behaviour.
Prosecutor Libby Smith told the court how on Thursday, October 10, Yallop entered the Hardwick Sainsbury’s, removed packaging from cans of Stella, concealed them on himself and left without paying for them.
On November 8, he was involved in a group fight outside Spar on Tennyson Avenue, which then continued inside.
In a witness statement, a shopkeeper said: “They were properly going for it and fists were thrown.”
He added that the incident left him and other staff members “really shook up” as items came flying off the shelves.
On May 28 this year, officers were called to a domestic incident where Yallop was seen kicking a woman.
The victim told police he had become aggressive when she refused to give him money.
A neighbour said she could hear the woman saying to him, “You just hit me”.
To which Yallop shouted back, “Yeah, and I’ll do it again”.
The victim was left with bruising on her back and marks on her face.
On June 9, police were called following reports of a missing bike on Millfleet Road in Lynn.
It was found later, being pushed by Yallop, less than a mile away on Highgate.
A search revealed the defendant had 0.14g of cocaine in his possession.
When questioned by police, Yallop said he did not know why he took it and that the Class A drug was for his personal use.
In mitigation, solicitor George Sorrell said the defendant has had a “difficult time”, had “really lost control of himself” and often “seeks comfort” in alcohol and drugs.
Each of his offences had been adjourned to allow pre-sentence reports to take place – but Yallop failed to attend his appointments.
Probation officer Lewis Spicer told magistrates that he could not recommend they adjourn it again.
“It’s a waste of our resources and a waste of our time,” he said.
Despite saying it has crossed the custody threshold for the domestic assault, magistrates handed him an eight-week prison sentence, suspended for 12 months, as well as a restraining order against the woman.
He will also pay a £227 fine and court costs of £40.
Other fines included:
• £6.45 in compensation to Sainsbury’s for the beer.
• £70 in compensation to the shop for the brawl, as well as an additional £40 in court costs.
• £120 for cocaine possession as well as a £48 victim surcharge and another £40 in court costs.
This brought the grand total to more than £550, to be added to his list of unpaid fines, which tot up to more than £2,000
There was no separate penalty for the bike theft.
Magistrates also ordered destruction of the cocaine, and Yallop laughed as they told him he “can’t have it back”.
