Sentencing of hammer-wielding Wigan shoplifter adjourned

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 the 40-year-old, of no fixed address, then produced a hammer, raised it and threatened the manager with it.

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.

The first three raids were all in Hindley. 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. He carried out another burglary at the Iceland store in Atherton, stealing bottles of alcohol. At all these break-ins he left blood traces. It was CCTV that caught him raiding a house in Burlington Street, Hindley, as he got away with a wallet, cards and cash.

He was due to be sentenced this month but the judge has now set the date for February 12.

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