Shoplifter broke Wakefield Spar worker's nose with tree branch after being ejected
A nuisance shoplifter boasted to staff that he was “in here nicking every day” before attacking a worker with a tree branch.
Harvey Stephenson pleaded guilty to a multitude of offences and was jailed at Leeds Crown Court this week, with the lead offence being ABH on the worker at Spar on Wakefield’s Wentworth Street.
He had entered the shop at around 4.40pm on November 27, 2023, putting a bottle of Prime energy drink in his pocket among other items.
Watched by staff, he was stopped by the supervisor and gave back some of the items, but became verbally abusive, saying he stole from the shop every day and called the worker a “jobsworth”.
He left on his bike, but returned to taunt the staff. He threw the bottle of Prime into the shop and then hurled the branch, which struck a worker between the eyes.
The man suffered a broken nose that needed resetting and left him scarred.
Stephenson was later arrested and gave a prepared statement, accepting his guilt, but said he did not mean to strike the worker. He then refused to answer any further questions.
However, he later went on to threaten staff from McDonald’s on Wakefield’s Dewsbury Road on April 2 of this year, claiming he had previously been assaulted in the restaurant.
He said he would “break the teeth” of one female worker and would stab another. Days later the police tried to arrest him and he tried to escape but was eventually detained.
In June he stole drinks from a Shell garage in Wakefield, made threats to NHS staff over the phone, to a healthcare worker and to a worker at Eden Lodge hostel on Doncaster Road after being told he was being evicted.
He also put the windows through with a stone. Stephenson later handed himself into police but then smeared his own excrement over the police station cell.
The 24-year-old admitted ABH, two counts of threatening behaviour, three counts of sending threatening communications, three for criminal damage and one of assault and theft.
He had 10 previous convictions for 34 offences, including six for violence.
Mitigating, Holly Clegg said he did not mean to hurt the Spar worker. She said no mental-health issues had been diagnosed but said Stephenson suffered from paranoia.
She said: “He accepts he struggles with his anger. The root of his offending comes from his childhood.”
She said his mother was an alcoholic drug addict and was homeless from being a child.
She said he wants a permanent home so he can stay out of trouble in future.
Judge Robin Mairs jailed him for 26 months.