Bleedin' hell,. Who says crime doesn't pay?

[Grumpmeister]

Until now I'd been under the impression that a shoplifter would simply be a petty criminal with either a drug problem or be too stupid and bone idle to amount to anything else. This guy has made a fotrune out of petty shoplifting 

A serial shoplifter who bought a luxury house with the proceeds of his criminal activity has been jailed for three years and told to pay nearly ?500,000.
Raymond Crockford, 63, from Weymouth, Dorset, was ordered to pay ?470,000 under a confiscation order at Dorchester Crown Court on Thursday.

The order will mean he will have to sell his house to pay the sum.

He denied one offence of attempted theft and five money laundering charges from September 2003 to December 2004.

Crockford claimed his lavish lifestyle was paid for by property investments in Spain, a divorce settlement and accident compensation.

But police believe he funded his lifestyle by selling the stolen goods on the black market over more than 20 years.

Recorder Andrew Langdon QC, who made the confiscation order, said: "For very many years now you have been shoplifting with a perfected skill.

"You are a meticulous and well organised man and you put a great deal of thought into your offending and in trying to avoid the consequences of it."

The court heard the retired scaffolder, who had not worked since the early 90s, stole petty items such as coffee, perfume, razor blades, bedding and alcohol from supermarkets.

Crockford, who lives in a seaside house with landscaped gardens and electronic gates, owns a BMW and two Mercedes - one worth ?20,000 - and enjoyed regular holidays abroad including trips to the Caribbean and Africa.

He also has ?100,000 in savings, a 50in plasma screen television and 80 suits.

'Treasure trove'

He was caught when he tried to steal three bottles of brandy from a supermarket.

When officers raided his home they found a treasure trove of stolen goods with bin bags and boxes of alcohol in his garage and piles of consumer goods in his house, the court heard.

They also found ?4,400 in cash from selling the stolen items.

Crockford has six months to sell his home and pay back the ?470,000.

He has been told he faces an additional three-and-a-half years in jail if he fails to pay back the sum.

Crockford will also have to dip into his ?100,000 savings to pay legal costs totalling ?22,500.

Hmm let me see, sell the house or spend another three and a half years in the clink.........Why do I get the feeling that he's going to tell the judge to stick it where the sun doesnt shine.

[Pastis]

Crockford claimed his lavish lifestyle was paid for by property investments in Spain, a divorce settlement and accident compensation...

He was caught when he tried to steal three bottles of brandy from a supermarket.

This reminds me of someone but, for the life of me I can't think who... 

[Berek]

Crockford claimed his lavish lifestyle was paid for by property investments in Spain, a divorce settlement and accident compensation...

He was caught when he tried to steal three bottles of brandy from a supermarket.

This reminds me of someone but, for the life of me I can't think who... 

 

[Nick]

Why are you not in Toronto???

[Barman]

This seems a bit unlikely to me!

How much is a bottle of brandy now? Given that you?d probably (presumably) get about half of the shop price by selling it again you?d have to steal an enormous amount to get ?100K in the bank ? let alone pay for the house and other luxuries.

He?d have to travel enormous distances to avoid raising suspicion too ? how many times can you walk into a supermarket and out again without buying anything before suspicions become aroused?

[Darwins Selection]

Why are you not in Toronto???

I refer the Honorable Member to my earlier reply re: The Lone Ranger.

[Anise]

This seems a bit unlikely to me!

How much is a bottle of brandy now? Given that you’d probably (presumably) get about half of the shop price by selling it again you’d have to steal an enormous amount to get ?100K in the bank – let alone pay for the house and other luxuries.

He’d have to travel enormous distances to avoid raising suspicion too – how many times can you walk into a supermarket and out again without buying anything before suspicions become aroused?

I think you're right about this one Bar man, I think it was the 5 counts of money laundering that show us how he made his dirty money.

You see some of those numpties on the telly stealing whole rack loads of tracksuits but that's nowhere near enough to buy a mansion and a big plasma telly is it?

[Misunderstood]

Crockford has six months to sell his home and pay back the ?470,000.

Pay BACK ?470,000 ???   Pay back to whom exactly?  The treasury?

Sounds like another cute money-raising from our imaginative government.
The shops lose the goods and the treasury gets the damages.


In fact it is such a good idea we may all be having to do it soon.

'Dear Sir,
We estimate that you have emerged from the last fiscal year with more money than you should have according to our records.
It will be necessary for you to pay back the amount of ?3,704.61 within a month of this notice or go to jail.
Your obedient servant,
Gordie Brown'