A prolific shoplifter injured and threatened workers across Bolton during a spree of thefts.

Lee Birbidge, 39, stole from branches of the Co-op and Lidl in ten incidents over the course of 2022, three of which involved either violence or the threat of violence.

In one case, Bolton Crown Court heard how when a shop manager tried to stop him by putting her hand on him, Burbidge became threatening.

Clare Thomas, prosecuting, said: “He replied something to the effect that she should watch her back.”

She explained that he then broke the woman’s finger taking her hand off.

On May 29 this year Burbidge, of no fixed abode, barged a shopworker out of the way and injured her shoulder after she tried to stop him.

He became threatening yet again when, after stealing from a branch of Lidl in Farnworth, the manager challenged him and tried to take a bag that he had loaded up with stolen goods off him in the car.

Ms Thomas said: “He was heard to say ‘Do you want this? Look what I’ve got here, I’ll stab you.'”

She told the court how Burbidge’s actions left a range of shop workers feeling anxious, afraid and frustrated at having to deal with such behaviour during the course of their days' work.

In one case he told a shop worker he ‘knew where he lived’ in order to make him afraid of future reprisals.

Burbidge was arrested on July 12 and eventually pleaded guilty to 11 counts of theft and three of which involved violence or the threat of violence.

Nicholas Ross, defending, argued that Burbidge had tried his best to admit to his crimes as soon as he could, but that he had been delayed by an unusual situation when the court needed to decide whether his crimes should be considered robbery or simply theft.

According to Mr Ross, it had taken ‘five goes’ before the correct plea was hit upon.

Mr Ross also told the court how Burbidge had been exposed to hard drug use from an early age and had struggled with heroin and cocaine use.

But, he had worked at improving himself while on remand by working with programmes aimed at addressing his drug use and was determined to avoid his past mistakes.

Mr Ross said: “He is keen and desperate to engage with those programmes in the community rather than in prison.”

He added: “These were acts of desperation, quite clearly, because of the addictions he was battling with.” 

Mr Ross argued that Burbidge had previously been in well-paid work as a roofer, which showed that he had the potential to be a functioning member of society.

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But the Honorary Recorder of Bolton Judge Martin Walsh ruled that the extent of Burbidge’s crimes meant that only a prison sentence was an appropriate way of dealing with him.

He also pointed out that the defendant had a poor previous record for obeying court orders.

Addressing Burbidge, he said: “You have had the opportunity to address your addictions which you have failed to do.”

Judge Walsh sentenced Burbidge to a total of two years in prison.