Shoplifter called staff ‘f*****g retards’ when challenged and punched police officer

A homeless 20-year-old who went on a crime spree called shop staff “f*****g retards” when challenged about stealing.Johnathan Kurtz, of no fixed address but thought to be residing in the Lynn area, appeared at the town’s magistrates’ court on Thursday, where he admitted a total of five offences.Kurtz stole two bottles of Prosecco from Lidl, threatened shop staff at the Spar on Tennyson Avenue, and assaulted a police officer on March 22.

Ten days before that, he was caught growing three cannabis plants and with a knuckle duster in his possession.Prosector Asif Akram told the court that on March 12, police officers attended an address in Ipswich linked to Kurtz.Police executed a search warrant, and found a three cannabis plants as well as a knuckle grinder – which Kurtz said in a police interview was used to crush garlic. He said he was growing the plants for his personal use, and thought it was legal to do so.He had been growing them for four months. On March 22, Kurtz entered Lidl in Lynn and was seen hiding a bottle of Prosecco in his trousers.A staff member spotted him in the act and asked him to return the bottle or pay for it.However, he did neither and left the store with the drink. The following evening, Kurtz entered the Spar on Tennyson Avenue.He was seen walking around the store, picking up food items and eating them as he walked around the shop.When challenged about this, he became verbally abusive toward staff and called them “f*****g retards”.He also said to staff: “I will kick your head in. I will stamp on your head”. Police were called to the scene to arrest Kurtz, and while being placed in handcuffs, he swung a fist at one of the officers.In mitigation, Ruth Johnson told the court that Kurtz was homeless when the assaults were carried out in Spar.She added that the knuckle grinder was advertised on Amazon as a meat tenderiser.“He used it for garlic – he was not using it in a sinister way,” the solicitor said. “He was homeless at the time and living in a tent. He came to Lynn and didn’t have funds to feed himself.“He explained his remorse and said that he would write an apology letter to both the shop staff and the police officer.”Kurtz’s case was adjourned for a pre-sentence report to be carried out, and he will return to court on June 11.He has been released on unconditional bail.