Police threats Shrewsbury man stole thousands from grandad
A man who stole his grandfather's £3,000 life savings did so while serving a suspended sentence for threatening an off-duty police officer with a knife in Shrewsbury.
Luke Samuel Jones took the money as well as a laptop and a camera from his grandparents' home.
His family was so concerned about his behaviour that they set up a video camera that caught the 20-year-old stealing £50.
Yesterday the former Telford resident pleaded guilty to two charges of theft at Shrewsbury Crown Court.
The offences put him in breach of a suspended sentence imposed by Shrewsbury Crown Court on July 11 last year after he threatened the officer with a knife at Stan's Cycles in Shrewsbury.
Recorder Gareth Evans activated Jones' 12-month suspended prison sentence order and gave him a further six months.
Mr James Edwards, prosecuting, told the court that the most recent offences had taken place when Jones moved in with his father.
Mr Edwards said that the father had been approached by Jones' grandparents last December to say that £3,000, a laptop and a camera had been stolen from their home.
Concerned that his son may have been responsible, a camera was set up in the grandparents' home which then recorded Jones stealing the £50.
In a statement Jones' father said his family had "done everything" for his son and the fact that he had stolen from his grandparents was "disgusting".
The court was told of the offences which had led to the suspended sentence order, including an affray at Stan's Cycles and a burglary at Ironbridge.
Mr Edwards told the court Jones had become aggressive with the off-duty officer which led to a confrontation where he threatened the man with a knife. The officer feared for his safety and locked himself in the shop.
When police arrived to arrest Jones he was said to have hit an officer in the face, the court heard.
Makkan Shokker, for Jones, now of Bilston Road, Wolverhampton, said the offending had only started when Jones was diagnosed with cancer, from which he is now in remission. He added that Jones had pleaded guilty at the first opportunity to all offences.
Recorder Gareth Evans said: "This was your grandfather and you went and took his life savings. I appreciate the instances of violence are different from what you are being dealt with for today but I think you were dealt with very leniently for that offence."
