'Desperate' former Leeds employee conned his way into Co-op stores to steal cigarettes worth £20,000

James Dawson later claimed he had been left with a four-figure tax bill and out of desperation targeted supermarkets. The 42-year-old had worked for an engineering company that provided electrical services for various companies, including Co-op.

Having left in March last year, he first went to the Co-op on Swinnow Lane, Swinnow, on April 3. Wearing the uniform from his former job, he said he was there to carry out work in the warehouse. Once inside, he took a box of cigarettes worth around £5,000.

On May 18, Dawson entered an electrical supplier retailer on Carr Road in Castleford, trying to buy tools using the bank account of his former employer, but left after staff became suspicious. He was later identified from the CCTV by his former colleagues.

Then on August 26 he entered the Co-op on Oakwood Lane in Hollin Park, again claiming he was there to carry out work. He stole another £5,000 worth of cigarettes.

Dawson, of Neville Parade, Osmondthorpe, targeted two more Co-ops in Harrogate and then in Bradford in September, using the same modus operandi and stealing a similar value of cigarettes on each occasion.

When he was finally arrested on September 17, he made full admissions, claiming it was a bill from HMRC that led him to steal. He admitted four counts of non-dwelling burglaries and one of fraud by false representation. He also admitted allowing premises to be used for the production of a class B drug, after being linked to chemicals being stored that were used for producing mephedrone in Leeds.

Mitigating on his behalf, Christopher Dunn said that Dawson had been "duped" over the drugs lab, but held his hands up for the Co-op matters.

He said: "He was entirely frank with the police. He told everything right from the start as to the reason why he was doing it. It's not an excuse but he pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity.

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"This spree is completely out of character. He has been a hard-working decent individual who allowed the situation to get out of hand. He was self employed and then went into employment and did not tell the Revenue."

He said Dawson was fined £4,000 initially and it put him under "huge financial pressure", adding: "It was the offending of a desperate man."

Judge Richard Mansell KC jailed him for 12 months, suspended for 12 month, and 150 hours of unpaid work.