Jailed Norwich shop thief tells court he will be back

Joe Creed, 36, took a total of £1355 worth of alcohol from supermarkets, including Sainsbury's at Brazen Gate, Norwich, between November 9 this year and December 27.

Creed, formerly of Godric Place, Norwich, was sentenced to a total of 12 weeks imprisonment at Norwich Magistrates' Court after he admitted a total of six theft offences, including five thefts from shops.

Before being taken down by prison guards, Creed told magistrates he was in a vicious cycle and could not access the help he needed meaning he "would be seeing them (magistrates) again" after he was released.

He said: "I will probably see you again over the next year or so".

Joe Creed was jailed at Norwich Magistrates Court after admitting a number of theft offences (Image: Peter Walsh, Newsquest)

The court had heard from his solicitor Rachel Buck that it was a "sad" situation Creed had got himself into, adding there was a "pattern" to his offending.

Ms Buck said on leaving prison he had nowhere stable to live and therefore did not have any ID documents meaning he was unable to receive benefits.

She said he suffers from a drug addiction and is "overwhelmed" by the position he is in, which she described as a "terrible vicious cycle".

At the hearing on Wednesday (December 28), Lesla Small, prosecuting, said there were "a number of different matters before the court" including five thefts from Tesco in Norwich as well as one from Sainsbury's.

He also admitted another theft, relating to the taking of a driving licence belonging to someone else, which was recovered from him when he was arrested.

The court heard that in one of the thefts, Creed took £600 worth of alcohol and "a quantity of frozen food" which he took outside the store.

He took the alcohol away but abandoned the trolley with £15 of frozen food in it which got spoilt.