A prolific shoplifter who brazenly cleared the shelves and terrorised staff at two London supermarkets has pleaded guilty to more than 100 charges of theft.
Mark Stavrou, 32, stole chocolate, sweets, groceries, cans of Red Bull, toiletries, and medicine in a one-man crimewave on the Sainsburys and Morrisons stores in Chingford.
He shoplifted nearly £8,000 worth of goods between January and July this year, to feed his drug habit and pay off criminal debts.
When a security guard tried to challenge him, Stavrou barged him out of the way and then threw a glass bottle in his direction.
On another occasion, Sainsbury’s staff locked the doors on Stavrou and he caused thousands of pounds of damage by smashing a glass panel with his foot.
At Thames magistrates court on Thursday, Stavrou, of Sherwood Close in Walthamstow, pleaded guilty to 106 counts of theft, two charges of attempted theft, assault on a security guard and criminal damage.
He also admitted refusing to provide a sample for a Class A drugs test after his arrest on July 21.
Prosecutor Peter Hutton told the court Stavrou was so prolific he would sometimes raid the same shop four times in a single day.
“The thefts often involved clearing the shelves, leaving no stock for genuine customers, and he was often seen to be taking only branded goods”, he said.
The court heard a security manager at the Morrisons, in Salisbury Hall Gardens, says staff are “afraid” of Stavrou, with older shop assistants feeling “helpless to stop him”.
“They may shout after him, but they can’t do anything about his actions”, he said.
The Sainsbury’s store, in Walthamstow Avenue, says it will cost at least £3,000 to repair the damage to front door, with the final bill not yet determined.
Stavrou, who also admitted stealing a £400 bike, has ten previous convictions for 14 offences of theft, and is currently in custody. He had been banned from going to both supermarkets, but repeatedly flouted that restriction.
His lawyer, Simon May, called Stavrou a “desperate man” who has addictions to crack cocaine, heroin, and alcohol.
He said Stavrou ended up owing up to £3,000 to drug dealers and was on the receiving end of violence as he struggled to pay off the debt.
In March, he was asked to leave the home he shared with his mother, rendering him homeless, and his shoplifting activities increased.
“These offences in the main were committed to fund his habit, and to generally survive”, he said.
“He attributes the start of his problems with substance misuse to witnessing one of his friends being stabbed multiple times, and unfortunately he didn’t survive”, he added.
The court heard Stavrou says he wants to rehabilitate on his release from prison, with a view to becoming either a painter and decorator or a mechanic.
The court heard came a day after the Met Police revealed it had made nearly 1,400 arrests in a crackdown on crime blighting town centres around London.
In July, The Standard reported on a 32-month jail sentence for a woman who shoplifted £120,000 of goods from Boots in an organised crime operation.
Opposition politicians have spent this summer talking about crime in London, putting a focus on shoplifting and pressure on Scotland Yard. This has included the bogus claim that anyone caught stealing items valued at under £200 will not face criminal proceedings.
Magistrates on Thursday decided they do not have sufficient powers to sentence Stavrou, after he admitted offences which can result in up to three years in prison. They sent his case to be dealt with by a Crown Court judge.
He was remanded back into custody until a hearing at Snaresbrook Crown Court on a date to be set.
