Shoplifter steals frozen meat in Iceland and barges elderly shoppers as he flees

CCTV shows a serial shoplifter running out of an Iceland store while being chased by a security guard on April 4 this year. Stephen Wray, 23, hid the stolen meat up his jumper before fleeing the busy supermarket. In the video, Wray is seen shoving an elderly woman off her feet while the second victim is knocked over in the doorway.

Knocked unconscious

The first woman, aged 71, suffered a broken hip while the second woman was knocked unconscious when she smashed her head on the ground. Several witnesses tried to tackle Wray who fled the scene at around 3pm.

Assault on police officers

Bodycam footage, also in the video, shows how police officers went to arrest the prolific thief two days later, and found him heavily intoxicated. During his arrest, Wray attacked two more female officers.

Jailed

An audio recording of his interview shows Wray replying “no comment” to all police questions relating to the assaults. An officer, heard in the video, tells Wray: "You stole property from Iceland and as you fled the store you knocked over two elderly females causing serious injuries to one and actual bodily harm to the other. She [the first victim] has actually got a broken hip which she didn't have before this incident in Iceland. This is a 71-year-old lady. Do you have any remarks for that?"

Wray replies: "No comment."

He admitted two counts of assault, two counts of assaulting a police officer, and theft. Wray was jailed for three years and eight months when he appeared at Durham Crown Court last Friday 10 May 2024.