Man involved in murder plot jailed for Tesco thefts

A man from Bedworth, who was previously jailed for his part in a murder plot, took part in a shoplifting spree compared to a game of "supermarket sweep".

Scott Warner, 42, stole an excess of £5,369 from three shops in the town - and was behind a third of the thefts at a Tesco supermarket.

He was jailed in 2020 over the death of Daniel Pitham, after he helped killer John Allison evade police.

Warner was also with Pitham the night he died and a jury found him guilty of two counts of perverting the course of justice.

Six years later, Warner has been jailed again, sentenced to spend 40 weeks in prison for 41 thefts - with officers calling the sentence a week in jail for every theft committed.

During the crime spree, the 42-year-old stole ice-cream, electrical items, washing powder, tea, coffee and packets of meat.

Insp Ryan Walker for Nuneaton & Bedworth Police said the offences, which took place last year, were being committed regularly.

He said: "It's almost like it's supermarket sweep."

"The impact on the community is huge. Business crime is seen as a victimless crime, but it could impact large stores, smaller stores, and the community in general.

"They see criminality take safety in front of their eyes and if they see no action, there's a loss of public confidence."

"I'd just like to reassure [the public] that if we are aware of crime, we'll tackle it. We'll do our best to bring the offenders to justice, and this investigation itself demonstrates that."

The BBC has contacted Tesco for comment.

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