Hammer thug left blood at crime scenes

A hammer-wielding Wigan shoplifter threatened to smash a manager’s head in when he was confronted about stealing a bottle of champagne.
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Craig Makin had stuffed the bottle down his trousers at M&S Food in Leigh’s Parsonage Retail Park, when staff approached and tried to get him to hand it back.

Bolton Crown Court was told that the 40-year-old, of no fixed address, then produced a hammer, raised it and threatened the manager with it.

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And Makin pleaded guilty to the armed robbery along with no fewer than five burglaries – four of which were detected because he bled at the crime scenes and left his DNA. At the fifth he was recognised on CCTV.

Bolton Crown CourtBolton Crown Court
Bolton Crown Court

The first three raids all happened in Hindley between March 18 and 20.

At Charlie’s Coffee Factory he took packs of bacon, coffee beans and chocolate powder.

At My Dentist dental surgery he escaped with £350 from the safe.

And at the AK Hair Lounge he stole a tin and its contents.

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During that spree he left blood smeared on a door at the salon, on bottles at the dental surgery and on a fridge at the coffee bar.

He carried out another burglary at the Iceland store in Atherton on July 13, stealing bottles of alcohol and, amazingly, managed to leave blood traces behind again, this time on an alcohol cabinet.

On each occasion the traces led to a full DNA profile of Makin.

He didn’t leave blood smears in a home in Burlington Street, Hindley, which he broke into on May 5, but as he got away with a wallet, cards and cash, he was caught on a neighbouring house’s CCTV camera and was identified by police.

Sentencing was adjourned until January 7.

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