Shrewsbury police detective stole sports gear from two shops
A police detective has been found guilty of stealing from two shops including trainers worth £110.
Matthew Hodgson, who is with the CID proactive division at Shrewsbury, was on trial at Kidderminster Magistrates' Court facing charges of theft.
The 46-year-old decorated officer, who has been on the West Mercia force for more than 20 years, had denied stealing trainers worth £110 from Go Outdoors in Shrewsbury on January 3 this year and gloves and trousers from Dave Mellor Cycles in the town a month later.
Appearing before District Judge Gary Garland, Hodgson said he had no recollection of either offence and had no intention to steal.
Stress
He claimed he had been experiencing stress from his job – and also from a sports injury and was on medication which affected his memory.
But, prosecuting, Amy Davies said that, if his memory had been so adversely affected by a ‘cocktail of drugs’ then he should not have been working or even driving his car.
The court heard workers at Go Outdoors, including store manager Joel Edwards, had seen Hodgson acting suspiciously and apprehended him as he made his way to the door.
Once the trainers had been returned he was asked to leave the store.
'Confrontational'
In the car park, Mr Edwards said that Hodgson ‘got quite confrontational’.
On February 7 Hodgson visited Dave Mellor Cycles, where he had become a friend of the owner.
He was seen on CCTV looking at gloves before putting some in a bag.
He was then seen to put two pairs of cycling leggings in the same bag.
Mr Mellor said: “He was a policeman. It did not enter my head that he had stolen from me.”
Jamie Simner, for Hodgson, said the father-of-two had been experiencing a certain level of stress.
Judge Gary Garland said: “No one is sadder than me in having to find this case in the way I have.”
Hodgson was given a conditional discharge for 12 months and ordered to pay £821 in costs and compensation.
