This is the moment a prolific shoplifter casually stole goods from a London supermarket before brazenly cycling away on a Lime bike with a suitcase filled with loot.
Mark Stavrou, 32, openly loaded items from the shelves into a bag before walking out without paying, cycling away from the Morrisons store in Chingford.
Scotland Yard has released the footage after Stavrou was jailed for three years for a ‘one-man crimewave’ against the Morrisons store and a nearby branch of Sainsburys.
The habitual thief stole to fund his drug habit, targeting the same shops repeatedly to swipe chocolate, sweets, groceries, cans of Red Bull, toiletries, and medicine.
He admitted 110 charges of theft between January and July this year, when thousands of pounds worth of supermarket products were taken.
In one incident, a security guard tried to challenge Stavrou and the thief barged him out of the way and then threw a glass bottle in his direction.
On another occasion, supermarket staff locked the doors on Stavrou and he caused thousands of pounds of damage while making his escape.
CCTV footage shows him kicking and clawing at the door, before eventually breaking the glass and crawling through the hole he had created.
Stavrou, of Sherwood Close in Walthamstow, pleaded guilty in August to multiple counts of theft, as well as three charges of attempted theft, assault on a security guard, and criminal damage.
At Snaresbrook crown court, he was jailed for three years by Judge Louise Kamill.
Stavrou also admitted refusing to provide a sample for a Class A drugs test after his arrest on July 21.
Prosecutor Peter Hutton set out how 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 £3000 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. He is already banned from going to both supermarkets, but has repeatedly flouted that restriction.
When he pleaded guilty, Stavrou’s lawyer, Simon May, called him a “desperate man” who has addictions to crack cocaine, heroin, and alcohol.
He said Stavrou ended up owing up to £3000 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.
