Serial shoplifter 'being helped to change life', King's Lynn court told

A court has heard how the authorities are working hard to help a prolific shoplifter with a drug habit mend his ways.

Lynn magistrates heard yesterday that Dean Kenneth Dexter Gray has shown willingness to end his criminal lifestyle and was always respectful to those trying to assist.

Gray, 24, was in court for sentencing on a string of offences carried out in the town last year to help feed his heroin addiction.

These included theft of men’s fragrance worth £175 from Boots on August 30, and stealing a Ralph Lauren jumper worth £135 from Goddards and Diesel fragrance worth £45.50 from Debenhams on December 15.

He had also admitted to attempted fraud by trying to use a stolen bank card on October 20, stealing £20 from a woman on October 21 and possession of 0.4 grams of heroin, a class A controlled drug, on September 13.

Gray, who is currently staying at a night shelter in Lynn but gave his correspondence address as High Road, Islington, asked for the theft of a bank card to be taken into consideration.

DC Darren Jiggins - one of the people helping Gray to leading a better life – accompanied him to court.

Solicitor Ruth Johnson told magistrates that Gray has been on the Prolific and Priority Offender Scheme for five weeks.

She said his heroin addiction had prevented from thinking rationally before carrying out an offence.

“He can’t necessarily stop and think to himself ‘hang on a minute – what’s going to be the consequence of this?’”, she added.

“He accepts it’s getting beyond a joke and that he needs help.

“He demonstrates nothing but respect for people in authority. He’s always polite and courteous, which is why people are so keen to work with him because they can see the potential.”

Chairman of the magistrates’ bench, Jean Bonnick, told Gray it was “encouraging” for the court to hear that he had decided that his life couldn’t go on it the way it had been.

He was sentenced to a 12-month community order with supervision, including a drug rehabilitation order for six months and 25 days of rehabilitation activity. He was ordered to pay a total of £180 compensation.

There was no separate penalty for the drug possession and no order for costs or victim surcharge.