AN EASTER egg thief who spat at a special constable and attacked a Sainsbury’s manager will only have to pay back £250 in compensation.

Chairman of the Oxford Magistrates’ Court bench, John Kearsey, told Timothy Wall they wanted to make sure ‘the people that are most affected receive compensation’.

The 38-year-old, who admitted a spree of offending between February and September last year, was also ordered to complete up to 16 rehabilitation activity requirement days as part of a 12 month community order.

Prosecutor Ann Sawyer-Brandish told the court on Friday that Wall spat at a special constable who went to speak to him in Chipping North on June 20 last year about a potential breach of his bail.

The spittle landed on the officer’s head. The special constable said he had been physically disgusted by Wall’s actions, magistrates heard. He could feel the spit in his hair and on his face.

Seven days later, he assaulted a manager at Sainsbury’s and also damaged a police car.

The bench was told Wall was responsible for a spree of thefts last Spring.

On February 4, 2020, stole a £50 Samsung vacuum cleaner from Corbetts Electrical in Chipping Norton.

Two months later April 1, 2020, he stole 17 Easter eggs from Marks and Spencer, Chipping Norton. On April 16, he tried to steal dog leads from Pets Corner but was unsuccessful. A day later he took two bottles of wine from Sainsbury’s and on April 19 he stole three bottles of brandy from the same supermarket.

He damaged windows belonging to Chipping Norton Town Council on March 13 and, on September 9, damaged property at Banbury police station.

Mitigating, Angela Porter asked the bench to bear in mind that the offences were now quite old, with the last in time dating back to September 2020.

Her client had been diagnosed with Asperger’s, she said. In the past year he had moved house and done his best to keep in touch with the probation service. She said it would be sensible for him to have the assistance of probation to look at ‘areas of concern’.

Wall, of Long Hanborough, admitted assaulting an emergency worker, theft, attempted theft and criminal damage. He was found guilty of assaulting the Sainsbury’s worker and damaging a police car.

He was ordered to pay £150 to the Sainsbury's manager and £100 to the special constable.

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