A homeless teenager who kicked a shop door into a worker’s face during one of multiple shoplifting incidents has been given a suspended sentence.
Olan Easingwood, 18, left a woman with a bleeding gash on her forehead after assaulting her at a Leicester store where she worked.
The incident occurred at D&R store in King Richards Road when the victim attempted to lock Easingwood inside after recognising him from a previous theft.
The Class A drug user, who lived under a bridge, pleaded guilty to 10 shoplifting offences and multiple assaults at Leicester Magistrates’ Court last Friday.
The incident occurred at D&R store in King Richards Road
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The assault took place on November 1 when Easingwood entered the store with another man, instructing his accomplice to put detergents into a bag.
A shop worker recognised the pair from a shoplifting incident two days earlier and attempted to intervene, asking them to return the items.
After calling the police, she tried to lock the door to prevent their escape.
It was then that Easingwood kicked the door, causing it to swing into her face and inflict a bleeding wound that later required medical attention.
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In her statement to the court, the victim said: “I felt sick and nearly fainted.”
The crime spree involved thefts worth £1,377 from multiple Leicester stores, including Iceland Food Warehouse, Shell Service Station, One Stop and Savers.
In one incident at One Stop in Grassmere Street, Easingwood was part of a five-person gang who stole over £380 worth of confectionery.
During a theft at Iceland on January 2, he and an accomplice concealed items in their clothes before attempting to leave.
When confronted by Iceland staff, Easingwood threatened to throw hot coffee over them.
The series of crimes resulted in charges including two counts of common assault and multiple shoplifting offences, to which he pleaded guilty.
Duncan Jefferson, representing Easingwood, told the court his client became homeless and was targeted by older rough sleepers who gave him crack cocaine.
These men then got him addicted and forced him to steal to pay for drugs, the defence lawyer claimed.
The teen pleaded guilty to 10 shoplifting offences and multiple assaults at Leicester Magistrates’ Court last Friday
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“He had been threatened with a zombie knife and told that if he didn’t steal from those shops something was going to befall him,” Mr Jefferson said.
The defence explained Easingwood had no benefits due to lacking ID, making him vulnerable to exploitation.
“Clearly the drugs are the main issue,” his lawyer added.
However, magistrates rejected these claims of coercion.
Andrew Compton, chair of the bench, told Easingwood: “We’re not convinced that was the driving factor in your offending.”
The magistrates noted several aggravating factors, including group activity and both threats and actual violence.
Easingwood received an eight-month youth custody sentence, suspended for 18 months.
The court ordered him to complete 15 days of Probation Service programmes and a six-month drug rehabilitation programme.
Rather than paying the standard £187 victim surcharge, Easingwood was ordered to pay that amount to One Stop in Grassmere Street, where he committed most of the thefts.