'Despicable' drug addict thieves targeted elderly shoppers and stole from their shopping trollies

While Lorna Walker kept victims talking her accomplice Peter Ellis rifled through their pull-along trollies or bags, stealing their contents.

Altogether they stole cash and possessions valued at more than £2,000 from victims aged 58 to 88, Bolton Crown Court heard.

They were each jailed for two years for their “despicable crimes".

Lindsay Thomas, prosecuting, told how 44-year-old Ellis and his 34-year-old partner Walker, travelled around Bolton, Leigh, Stretford and Middleton, seeking out elderly and vulnerable women to target.

The drug addict couple’s crime spree was first spotted on November 20 last year when they took a purse from a 59-year-old woman’s trolley in Poundland, Stretford.

A further four victims were targeted in the area before Ellis and Walker turned their attention to Bolton.

The court heard that on December 27 Ellis was in Asda in Brackley Street, Farnworth, when he took an 81-year-old woman’s purse from her handbag in a supermarket trolley while she was distracted.

Then on January 16 77-year-old Mary Fitton, who was sitting in the Cosy Café at Bolton Market waiting for her son, became their next victim.

Her pull-along trolley was behind her and it was only when Ellis and Walker, who had been sitting at a neighbouring table, left that she realised her purse, which had been at the bottom of the trolley, was missing.

Two days later the couple took a handbag belonging to a 58-year-old woman who had left it on the back of her chair at Tiffany’s coffee shop in Victoria Square.

They were almost caught on January 21 when shopper Danny Pasquill ran after them when they took a 73-year-old woman’s handbag from a trolley in Asda at Burnden Park.

Mr Pasquill grabbed Walker, who had the handbag, but let go to chase Ellis and both thieves got away.

There were further thefts in the Leigh and Middleton areas before the couple were finally caught at Morrisons in Blackhorse Street in the town centre.

Mrs Thomas told how an 80-year-old woman, using a walking frame, was shopping in the store on the afternoon of February 3 when Walker approached her and asked for her help.

She told her victim: "I can’t read and I’m trying to find the vegetarian soup."

The victim struggled over to the soup to look, leaving her purse on her walking frame, the court heard.

Walker walked away, but she and Ellis had already been spotted by security guard Kabba Bajinka, who recognised them from photographs he had seen on a police website.

The pair were detained, with Walker initially claiming she had found the pensioner’s purse on the floor.

Ellis told the arresting police officer: “I’m not proud. We use drugs. I’m glad that it’s all over.”

Ellis, of Longhope Road, Manchester, pleaded guilty to 16 counts of theft and Walker, of St Bernard’s Avenue, Salford, admitted 15 theft offences and a further charge of shoplifting.

Chudi Grant, defending Ellis, said the defendant had a long-standing addiction to hard drugs.

“He acknowledges he fully deserves to be incarcerated for these despicable acts,” he said.

The court heard Walker also has a history of drug addiction.

Recorder Craig Osborne sentenced each of them to two years in prison.

He said: “The cunning you employed in carrying out these offences in no way was opportunistic.”

One of the victims, Mary Fitton was in court to hear sentence passed.

Speaking after the hearing she said: “I am pleased that they got two years but I don’t think it’s enough and I don’t think using drugs is an excuse.”

The court heard that some victims are now afraid to go to shopping centres, but while Mrs Fitton says the crime will not change her behaviour she is now more wary.

She does not leave her purse in her trolley and has attached bells to it to warn her if anyone tries to take it.

She appealed to other pensioners to also take care.

“It never entered my mind that people could be watching me and would steal from me,” she said.