Court Report: 22/09/2020 @ Inner London Crown Court
I’m in Courtroom 10 before Her Honour Judge Newbery for the sentencing of 44-year-old Thomas Mockler of no fixed abode.
Having previously racked up some 49 convictions for 120 offences this defendant is about to hit the big 5-0.
Mr John Carmichael, prosecuting, tells the court that three offences relate to an incident that occurred on March 12th 2020. We’re told that at 7.20pm the defendant was recognised as a shoplifter by a security guard at the Sainsbury’s store on the Peckham Road.
Giving chase the guard confronted Mr Mockler in the car park at the front of the store and tried to restrain him. Producing a drawn Stanley knife Mr Mockler shouts “I’ll tell you what we’re going to do” in an attempt to get away. We’re told he then threw the knife behind the guard when he realised the threat wasn’t going to work.
He’s taken back into the store and arrested. A search reveals that he had attempted to steal meat to the value of some £53.
Two further offences relate to an incident which happened on July 17th 2020 at 5am at the Greens Food & Wine store in Addiscombe. Mr Carmichael tells the court that a member of the public phoned the police to report two men trying to break into the store. Mr Mockler was detained at the scene and tools including a crowbar and a screwdriver were found in an adjacent ally way.
Described as just “a bit of brown” a small quantity of heroin was found on him also. He has been remanded in custody since.
In mitigation Ms Sutcliffe for the defence explains the pre-sentence-report details a number of health conditions that Mr Mockler suffered from and any sentence should take this into account especially considering the conditions within prisons at the moment.
She tells the court that when he was released on bail for the first incident the locks had been changed at his supported living and he was unable to gain access. We hear his friends and family have given up helping him.
In passing sentence Her Honour Judge Newbery considers it to be a “serious matter to bring out a blade”. She describes the defendant as a “persistent” and “prolific” offender who has been entrenched in drug use since the early 1990’s.
Taking into account the high likelihood of reoffending mentioned within the pre-sentence-report and the need to protect the public the court hands down a sentence of 8 months custody for the Knife incident and 4 months custody for the burglary to run consecutively.
Mouse in the Court 