Salmon and booze thief in Great Yarmouth shoplift spree

Mindaugas Vitas, 36, repeatedly hit branches of Sainsbury's, Asda and Morrisons in Great Yarmouth.

He walked out with more than £100 of goods on each occasion with salmon and alcohol being his favourite items to steal.

Appearing at Norwich Magistrates’ Court he pleaded guilty to 13 shop thefts and one attempted theft between September 12 and November 10.

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Josephine Jones, prosecuting, said total losses had been in excess of £1,500 with 10 of the thefts carried out while he was already on bail and awaiting sentence for previous offences. 

He had pleaded guilty on October 26 to shop theft, possession of cocaine and failing to surrender to the court. 

Bail conditions on that occasion banned him from entering a string of stores in Yarmouth including the supermarkets he stole from as well as TK Maxx and the Co-Op.  

“He deliberately targeted stores all whilst on bail for identical offences,” said Ms Jones.

His thefts included six from Morrisons, five from Asda, three from Sainsbury’s and one from Farmfoods. 

Mindaugas Vitas was remanded to HMP Norwich until he his sentenced (Image: Newsquest)

Deputy District Judge Jacqui Appleton warned him he faced the “real prospect of jail time”.

“In my judgement collectively the perseverance of your offending, 22 offences in a short period of time, means the custodial threshold has been passed,” she added.

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She remanded him to remain in custody after denying bail stating there was “a real risk of you committing further offences”.   

He will be sentenced on December 5.

Matt Diss, mitigating, said he had been living in the UK for 13 years and was in the process of getting a job in a factory.

“Prior to 2024 he had very few previous convictions but a relationship breakdown and some very poor decisions is why that has changed,” he added.