Belfast clothes thief is jailed for eight months

James Allsopp stole thousands of pounds worth of stock from traders he repeatedly targeted at the Cityside Retail Park.

The 25-year-old also took games consoles from a staff-only area of another store at the same complex.

District Judge Steven Keown declared: “It was an absolute spree, and unfortunately there is a price to be paid for that.”

Allsopp, of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty to five counts of theft and a further charge of burglary.

Belfast Magistrates’ Court heard he stole more than £2,000 worth of clothing from Peacocks during three incidents between May 25 to May 30 this year.

The following day he took clothing with a total value of £730 from a nearby branch of Sports Direct.

Allsopp also carried out a theft of £305 worth of electrical goods from Boots on June 4.

Prosecutors set out how he then entered a staff area of Asda Living and took Xbox and Nintendo Switch games consoles valued at just over £1,300 without authority.

Defence solicitor Damien Trainor acknowledged the scale of the thefts but described them as relatively unsophisticated.

“In the full glare of CCTV police were always going to be able to identify him,” the lawyer said.

Mr Trainor told the court Allsopp had been unfit to be interviewed about the initial spate of offences due to his issues with drug addiction. “On the second occasion he was more compliant and totally apologetic,” he added.

But the judge rejected any suggestion of imposing a suspended sentence on Allsopp.

Mr Keown stressed: “His record is absolutely appalling... there will be a total of eight months custody."