Prolific thief who stole from four shops will use ‘will power’ to tackle alcohol issues

A thief has been handed a conditional discharge after refusing an opportunity to work with the probation service.Shane Davis-Wilson, 37, of Pleasance Close in Gaywood, was sentenced at Lynn Magistrates’ Court on Thursday.He had previously pleaded guilty to three counts of theft from a shop, and admitted another this week.

The court was told that the goods were recovered on each occasion, with Davis-Wilson targeting Aldi and Tesco in Gaywood, a Spar store, and a Boots chemist.The items he stole included deodrant and steaks, with the offences committed between April 17 and June 24.Mitigating, solicitor Charlotte Winchester said that at the time of the thefts, Davis-Wilson “needed money”. She told the court that having suffered with alcohol-related problems in the past, the defendant had resorted to drinking again following the death of his grandfather.“It wasn’t sophisticated offending,” she said. “He has accepted responsibility right from the outset. He just couldn’t cope, and he says that is why he started drinking again – to try and deal with that.“Alcohol has been a problem in the past. You have heard about his previous record – a lot of these offences are alcohol-related.”However, Ms Winchester did say that Davis-Wilson has experienced a “turning point” after a recent hospital visit and has not drank since then. “I would hope that this is just a blip for him,” she added.Magistrates therefore asked the probation service to carry out a stand-down report on Davis-Wilson to establish if there was any support that could be offered to him as part of his sentence.However, probation officer Lewis Spicer was told by Davis-Wilson that he would not comply with any requirements – and he therefore told the court that he did not want to “set him up to fail”.The defendant previously breached a suspended sentence because he refused to carry out work with the probation service. On this occasion, he told Mr Spicer he believes the best way to tackle his issues is through his “own will power”.Magistrates therefore handed Davis-Wilson a 12-month conditional discharge, while he will also pay £50 in court costs and a £26 victim surcharge.