Brazen Leeds John Lewis thief stole thousands of pounds of Calvin Klein clothing during crime spree

Drug addict Anthony Poll was caught on CCTV stealing the designer hoodies, jackets and shirts over four visits to the department store, worth a total value of more than £1,500. He was sentenced at Leeds Crown Court this week for a string of offences.

The crime spree began on April 20 this year, when the 30-year-old was caught on camera in Bramley Shopping Centre smuggling bottles of spirits in his jogging trousers and rucksack. The alcohol he stole was worth £84.

On May 15, the defendant walked into John Lewis in Victoria Gate and stole a number of Calvin Klein hoodies worth £430. On May 21, he went back to the department store and stole Calvin Klein jackets worth £340.

The following week on May 24, Poll was stopped and searched by police in Hunslet. Officers found one blade from a pair of scissors in his trouser pocket and Poll said he used the weapon to “clean out his crack pipe”. He appeared in the police station the following day and was spoken to and released on bail.

Poll returned to the Calvin Klein section of John Lewis on July 18 and was caught on CCTV stealing shirts and jackets worth £605. On another occasion that month, he stole Calvin Klein tops worth £140.

On September 27, two members of staff were preparing to set up Kirkgate Market when they found the defendant asleep on a stall and asked him to move on. Poll got angry and broke a small glass bottle he was holding, thrusting it towards one of the victims.

Prosecuting, Andrew Stranex said: “During the course of his resistance he tried to spit at the complainants and his language was foul and abusive, becoming racially aggressive and abusive towards those two complaints.”

When police arrived, Poll turned his aggression and racist abuse towards one of the officers, referring to the English Defence League and shouting vile racial slurs, with the aggression lasting about 10 minutes.

Poll was arrested and taken to the police station, where he caused criminal damage by purposely urinating in his cell.

The defendant, of Clifton Avenue in Burmantofts, was charged with four counts of theft from a shop and two counts of racially aggravated violence. He was also charged with making threats with an offensive weapon, criminal damage, causing racially aggravated harm or distress, theft, and possession of bladed article.

Poll pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity before the courts. In mitigation, Oliver Connor said the defendant struggled with heroin and cocaine addiction and had been clean and “far more stable” since being held in custody.

Mr Connor said: “He tells me that in fact it was that addiction that essentially underlined all that offending.” He added that the aim of the thefts was to “fund his drug addiction” as well as “meeting his basic needs, such as food”.

Poll has 25 convictions for 49 offences. He was sentenced to a community order for 11 thefts, battery and threatening behaviour in February this year. Judge Andrew Stubbs KC revoked that order and re-sentenced him for those offences, along with the new crimes.

Passing his sentencing remarks, Judge Stubbs KC told Poll that his behaviour at Kirkgate Market was “appalling”.