(Image: North Yorkshire Police)
A violent shoplifter allowed to walk free from court under a new law went straight back to stealing, York magistrates heard.
Lee John McDonald, 43, made six raids on shops in his neighbourhood in four days in his bid to get himself locked up.
In one shop he claimed to a member of staff who confronted him that he had a knife on him, the court heard.
He has previous convictions for violence, including towards shop staff, and 89 previous convictions, many of them for shoplifting in his home town of Selby and including threatening to slit a shopworker's throat.
Today he is in jail, serving a 25-week prison sentence.
“In his opinion, it is his view he would be better off in custody,” said defence solicitor Adam Henry.
“He would have a roof over his head and upon release from custody he would then have the supervision of the probation service.”
York magistrates heard that McDonald was given a prison sentence on Friday which magistrates had to suspend under a law passed earlier this year that forbids them to lock people up except under certain circumstances.
Martin Butterworth, prosecuting, said: “Almost immediately he is out stealing items. It is not simply walking in and walking out with goods.”
On Sunday and Monday, McDonald raided Aldi in Selby. On the second occasion, he was stopped and challenged by a member of staff.
McDonald responded by telling the shop employee he had a knife on him, said Mr Butterworth. He didn’t produce a knife and police did not find a knife on him when he was arrested.
McDonald, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to six shop thefts committed on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday, all in Selby.
Magistrates ordered McDonald to serve the eight-week prison sentence suspended on Friday and added 17 weeks for the new offences, which involved theft of meat, alcohol and washing products in Marks and Spencer, B&M, Home Bargains and Aldi.
Under the new law, magistrates don’t have to suspend a prison sentence if a defendant is already on a suspended prison sentence or a community order.
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Mr Henry said McDonald had asked the bench to lock him up on Friday without success.
“He wanted to go to custody,” he said. “He again invites you to send him to custody.”
It is the second time in two years McDonald has responded to receiving a suspended prison sentence by going out and raiding shops.
On January 30, 2025, he was given a suspended prison sentence and three days later, he was again shoplifting.