A SERIAL shoplifter who assaulted a shop worker has been jailed.

Robert Stephen Graham, aged 27 and of no fixed abode, appeared at Weymouth Magistrates’ Court to be sentenced for two shoplifting offences, an attempted theft and assault.

At around 5.15pm on Friday, June 8, Graham entered the Londis store in Trinity Street in Weymouth and was challenged by staff after it was suspected that he had taken items without paying for them.

The defendant then became upset and ran toward a female member of staff and squirted her with liquid from a drinks bottle.

She then fell in the entrance to the shop as she tried to get away.

In another incident on Friday, June 29 at around 9.45pm, Graham was spotted by staff at the Aldi store at the Jubilee Retail Park as he attempted to take meat from a shelf and place it into a bag before attempting to leave.

A member of staff then challenged him and he dropped the meat before running out of the shop.

Graham was then challenged by staff again at around 11.20am on Friday, July 20 as he attempted to leave the Sainsbury’s supermarket in Mercery Road as they believed he had taken alcohol from the shelf and put it into a bag.

He had a verbal argument with a member of staff before running out of the store with a bag of alcohol.

Graham then returned to the Mercery Road store later that day and was seen on CCTV taking meat from the shelf and placing it into a bag before leaving the store without paying.

He went back to the Sainsbury’s store again for a third time the following day and again was seen putting meat into a bag as he walked toward the exit.

However, Graham made off despite alarms being triggered at the exit and staff attempting to stop him

The 27-year-old was then arrested the following day in Weymouth.

Police Sergeant Sam Goom, of the Weymouth Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: “We recognise the impact shoplifting has on businesses and aggressive behaviour toward staff as displayed by Graham will not be tolerated.

“We will continue to work with all businesses in our community to ensure offenders such as Graham are brought to justice.”

At the hearing on Monday, July 23, Graham was sentenced to a total of 14 weeks in prison after also admitting two offences of failing to surrender to court bail.