A prolific thief pretended to fall asleep when police tried to question him about a shoplifting spree in Newark.
Karl Allsopp refused to leave his cell after officers connected him to 16 thefts across the town and brought him into custody. He wouldn’t budge from bed when asked to by police, later declining interviews, pulling a blanket over his face, and pretending to go to sleep.
Allsopp was in a similar position when he was tracked down and detained by the Newark neighbourhood policing team earlier that same day (21 November). The 36-year-old was this time snoozing for real when officers found him underneath some blankets on a sofa, with Allsopp waking to the news that he was under arrest.
This came after police managed to link him to a string of shop thefts across four Newark stores between 11 August and 16 November. Most of Allsopp’s thieving took place earlier this month, with the serial shoplifter targeting the town’s Sainsbury’s 12 times throughout November.
He helped himself to bottles of alcohol or meat products each time, with Allsopp stealing chocolates, sports supplements, as well as more meat and alcohol during four other thefts. Despite refusing to cooperate with police, officers had by that stage already gathered the evidence needed to ensure he was quickly charged and put before the courts.
Allsopp, of no fixed address, subsequently pleaded guilty to the 16 shop thefts at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court the next day (22 November). He was sentenced to one year in prison during the same court appearance.
PC Kieran Shephard, of Nottinghamshire Police, said:
“Thanks to the officers doing such a good job in gathering the evidence needed to prove Allsopp’s actions, he was left with no choice but to plead guilty when he appeared in court.
“That’s despite him refusing to answer any of our questions when he was initially arrested, with Allsopp completely ignoring our officers and even pretending to be asleep in custody.
“This tactic clearly didn’t prove to be an effective one for him though, as shown by the strong custodial sentence handed out by the court.
“Shop staff shouldn’t have to worry about people like Allsopp taking items without paying for them, while these thefts are also unfair on all those people who spend their hard-earned money on their shopping.
“We hope this sentence sends a strong message that persistent shoplifting is a serious offence that can lead to a substantial spell behind bars.”
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