This is the moment a heartless thief swipes a charity box at a newsagents in Wearside.
Stephen Ambler stole the box for Guide Dogs for the Blind which contained around £100 during his 24 crime spree last month.
Ambler was caught on CCTV walking into the Premier Store in East Rainton on September 7 and making off with the fundraising box on the same day he kicked his way into a family’s shed nearby and snatched a Carrera mountain bike.
Now the 41-year-old has pleaded guilty to burglary and theft when appearing before magistrates in South Tyneside on Friday (October 16).
He also admitted assaulting an emergency worker after spitting at a nurse while receiving treatment at Sunderland Royal Hospital on May 28.
Detective Constable Neil Swainston, of Northumbria Police’s Southern Burglary Team, said: “Stephen Ambler showed a total disregard for the law and the community which he lives when he embarked on a 24-hour crime spree.
“For somebody to brazenly steal from a charity which relies on the hard work and dedication of volunteers is quite frankly deplorable. He should be ashamed of his actions.
“It is clear that he had no conscience – as a short time after stealing the charity box, he was seen kicking his way into a shed and making off with a girl’s bike which cost £500.
“Individuals like Ambler cannot be trusted to live in a lawful society so I am pleased that he now begins a spell behind bars. I hope he uses this time to think carefully about the consequences of his actions – it’s time for him to grow up.”
In a statement prepared for court, a representative from Guide Dogs for the Blind revealed the timing of the theft is particularly harmful for the charity.
It read: “The loss of this money will have an impact on the funds of the charity, especially in the current Covid-19 situation as every penny we collect helps fund our day-to-day activities of training and supplying guide dogs for people who require them to live their everyday lives.”
Ambler, of Coalbank Road, Hetton-le-Hole, has been jailed for 23 weeks.
