Leeds Tesco store thief made threats with knife and syringe during crime spree

A man threatened security guards, staff and customers with a knife after being caught shoplifting at a Tesco store during a spree of offending.
Dion Dalton.Dion Dalton.
Dion Dalton.

During another offence Dion Dalton threatened to stab a security guard with a syringe after telling him he had AIDS when he was detained at a Wilko’s store.

Dalton also caused a water leak at a betting shop in Leeds after burgling a flat above the premises and ripping out copper piping.

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Dalton, 34, of Queens Park Drive, Castleford, pleaded guilty to burglary, failing to surrender, two offences of resisting arrest, three offences of theft and possession of a bladed article. He was jailed for 18 months.

The offending took place between October last year and May this year. Leeds Crown Court heard a member of staff at a Coral bookmakers noticed a leak coming from the flat above the shop.

He went to investigate and saw a window of the flat had been smashed.

Dalton came out of the property carrying three lengths of copper piping.

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Dalton was arrested and released on bail but was offending again in Leeds in the early hours of December 26. Police officers spotted him acting suspiciously near to parked cars.

He was in possession of tools used to gain entry to vehicles, including a hammer to smash glass.

Dalton made threats with a knife as security officers stopped him on suspicion of shop lifting at a Tesco Express in Roundhay on March 9.

Ten customers were present at the time as Dalton said: “I will stab you all.”

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He made threats with the syringe at a Wilko’s store in Castleford on May 17 when he was detained for stealing women’s make-up. Police went to arrest Dalton at a property in Castleford on May 31. He smashed a window and fled but was detained nearby after a struggle. Narinder Rathour, mitigating, said Dalton’s offending was linked to his addiction to drugs.

He said Dalton made the threats as he was a carer for his mother and worried about who would look after her if he was arrested. Jailing Dalton, judge Mushtaq Khokhar said: “If you really cared for your mother you would do something to tackle these particular problems. But your addiction takes priority over everything else in your life.”