A serial thief from the Black Country who targeted the same shop eight times in 18 days attempted to choke a police officer when he was finally caught. Donald Hornby, 34, of no fixed address, began his stealing spree on Easter Monday, April 6, entering a store in Throne Road, Rowley Regis, just after 7am and stealing around £92 worth of items. He returned hours later at 12.15pm and took £122 worth of goods, again walking out without paying.
Repeat Offender
Hornby continued his double-thieving trips on Thursday, April 9, visiting the same shop at 1pm and then at 3.55pm to steal items. He later returned on Saturday, April 18, and Monday, April 20, making four visits over two days, bringing the total to eight thefts. Police were alerted and began searching for him.
Arrest and Assault
On Friday, April 24, Hornby was spotted in a food store at Oldbury Green Retail Park putting items in a bag and attempting to leave. A police officer intervened, but Hornby tried to choke the officer during the struggle. More officers arrived and took him into custody. He admitted nine counts of shop theft, assaulting a police officer, and failing to comply with notification requirements at Wolverhampton Magistrates’ Court on April 27. He was jailed for 42 weeks.
Police Statement
Sergeant Jason Walters of the South Sandwell Retail Crime Team said: “Hornby showed a complete disregard for the law and targeted the same store countless times. Even when confronted, he still attempted to get away with his crimes. We will always do everything in our power to find, arrest, and put those responsible for making the lives of shop workers and businesses a misery. I’m glad he’ll now serve time for his crimes. I encourage stores to continue reporting incidents like this to us – without your help we can’t target those responsible and prosecute them.”
West Midlands Police confirmed that Sandwell South has a dedicated retail crime team focusing on bringing prolific offenders to justice. The team works closely with store security, retailers, and partner agencies to keep the community safe.
