A man has appeared in court accused of stealing giant inflatable reindeers from a Northumberland garden centre. Mark Haire was in the dock this week accused of taking the festive decorations, worth £260, from Dobbies in Ponteland.
The 38-year-old is also suspected of assaulting a staff member at the garden centre during the same incident, a court heard. Haire, of Wingrove Avenue in Fenham, faced further allegations of stealing £79.96-worth of goods from B&M in Cramlington on June 18, taking £233.33-worth of items from Boundary Mill in Shiremoor, and assaulting a worker at the North Tyneside store on October 13.
Court Appearance and Pleas
He appeared at Newcastle Magistrates' Court this week to plead not guilty to three counts of shop theft and two of assault by beating. Haire did, however, admit stealing eight vapes from Heron Foods and assaulting a staff member there on June 25, and helping himself to four bottles of gin from Sainsbury's in Shiremoor on October 15.
Adjourning the case for trial, District Judge Paul Currer told Haire: "Your trial for the matters you have denied will be on January 26 at 10am. You have pleaded guilty to some matters and not guilty to others."
Bail Conditions and Next Steps
The judge added: "In the meantime, the Crown will review the case and it will be brought before me for review on December 9. You must attend on that date. You will be released on bail but you must not enter Dobbies, in Ponteland, B&M, in Cramlington, and Boundary Mill, in Shiremoor."
