A Bolton man has been sent to prison for two years after a string of thefts, racial abuse, assault, and breaching a criminal behaviour order. Lee Merrick, of no fixed abode, was convicted of 14 counts of theft from a shop, two counts of racially aggravated harassment, threatening behaviour, two counts of common assault, and breaching a criminal behaviour order at Manchester Magistrates Court on July 1. The court heard how the 37-year-old, who appeared via video link from Liverpool Prison, had 29 previous convictions for 117 offences.
In 2011, Merrick was jailed after he held a gun to a taxi driver’s neck in Breightmet and threatened a shop assistant in Tonge Moor. Prosecuting barrister Aubrey Sampson said Merrick had committed the latest offences in February and March of this year, stealing more than £1,000 worth of items from B&M, Nisa, Card Factory, and Home Bargains. Sign up to our newsletters to get the latest stories sent straight to your inbox.
Items stolen by Merrick include toothpaste, chocolate, cakes, steaks, a teddy, hand cream, air freshener, and cleaning products. Merrick’s largest individual haul was on March 3, when he stole steaks, chocolate, toothpaste, beef, cakes, and steak worth £225.19 from a Nisa store.
On March 6, the court heard that Merrick entered B&M in Breightmet twice. On his first visit, the on-shift security guard asked him to leave the store, and attempted to escort him out – though Merrick barged him and continued to steal air freshene.