Rough sleeper’s chilling knife threat as he’s caught stealing Pound Bakery baguettes

A knife-wielding rough sleeper threatened to stab a bakery worker after he was caught shoplifting. Glyn Whitfield stole from the Pound Bakery Shop in Hanley and returned an hour later to pinch more food.

But when the 27-year-old started helping himself to baguettes, a second employee told him to put them back. She heard him threaten her colleague, saying, ‘I am going to stab you’.

And she saw the defendant pull out a steak knife from his waistband. She warned her colleague to get off the shop floor as she feared for her safety. Now Whitfield has been jailed for 12 months at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court – although he should be released in the near future as he has spent nearly six months on remand.

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Prosecutor Robert Ward said Whitfield entered the Pound Bakery shop in Parliament Row, Hanley, between 8.30am and 9.30am on January 29. Mr Ward said: “He picked up a number of items including a sandwich, can of pop, a kids’ meal and a packet of cornflake cakes.

“A staff member approached him and took the cornflake cakes out of his hands. However, it was damaged and unable to be sold. She went outside to keep an eye on others who may have entered to shoplift. One shouted, ‘What are you looking at?’.

“An hour later she was filling up the fridges when the defendant returned to the store. He started picking up baguettes. Another employee said, ‘Put them back’. She heard him threaten her colleague, saying, ‘I am going to stab you’.

“She saw the defendant pull out a steak knife from his waistband. She warned her colleague to get off the shop floor as she feared for her safety.

“The victim was in a state of shock and panic. She did not look at the defendant and did not see the knife herself.

“The defendant left with baguettes and cakes. An associate shouted, ‘F****** vile woman, you are a b****. I have got some money. I can get you after work. I am going to pay somebody to get you after work’.”

Whitfield, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to theft, affray and having a knife in public. The court heard he has a previous conviction for assault occasioning actual bodily harm and possession of a bladed article.

Paul Cliff, mitigating, said Whitfield began to experiment with hard drugs and developed a heroin addiction. Mr Cliff said: “He became homeless. Since his late teens he has lived mostly on the street and has slept rough in the city centre.

“He needs support with accommodation. He has no family in the area. He has not used illegal drugs on remand. He is very keen on his release to seek the assistance in finding a settled address.

“He is sorry for his behaviour. He was in a fairly desperate place at the time.”

Judge Michael Maher said: “On January 29 you were homeless and living a chaotic lifestyle. You stole food and were quite arrogant, like you were entitled to steal from that shop. You returned an hour later and one of the employees heard you threatening a colleague.

“One of the group described the staff as vile. Why? Because they were simply doing their job. It is one thing to steal from shops. It is quite another to brandish a knife and frighten the staff in that shop.”

The judge made Whitfield the subject of a two year Criminal Behaviour Order.

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