Prospective buyer of shop turned out to be burglar

A MAN pretended he was interested in buying a shop before breaking in and stealing cash, cigarettes and spirits worth more than £9,000.

Ibrar Akram posed as a purchaser when he went to Royston Garden News in North Street, Bedminster.

After asking to use the toilet, and realising the back door was unbolted, he came back later and stole £9,300 worth of stock.

Akram, 31, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to the burglary which took place in October.

Judge David Ticehurst sentenced him to a community order comprising of two years' supervision and a six months drug rehabilitation requirement.

The judge told him: "You will be tested twice a week and appear before me once a month. If you do well, I will commend you.

"If you do badly, I will send you to prison and the appropriate sentence would be three years."

The judge reserved any breaches of the order to be dealt with himself.

Paul Connell, prosecuting, said Akram spoke to general manager Sandip Sodha about the shop, which was up for sale.

Mr Connell told Bristol Crown Court: "He asked questions about the turnover, opening hours, the flat above the shop and about the cash and carry they used.

"The situation made Mr Sodha extremely suspicious."

Akram left the store but returned and asked even more questions, the court heard.

Mr Sodha locked the shop around 10.30pm, but CCTV showed a person taking £7,000 worth of cigarettes, £1,500 worth of spirits and £800 cash.

"The defendant was identified from the CCTV," Mr Connell said

Akram told police he went to the shop with the sole intention of planning a break-in.

He described how he went to the toilet, noticed the back door was not bolted and admitted that was his entry for the burglary.

He told police he sold the stock to drug dealers in order to fund his crack cocaine habit.

Jane Chamberlain, defending, suggested that the judge impose a DRR to help him in his bid to overcome his addiction.

She said: "Mr Akram made full admissions in interview and cooperated throughout."

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