Drug addict Sulaiman Kamara targeted Boots, Claire’s, Holland & Barrett, The Perfume Shop and HMV
The entrance to the Bullring shopping centre in Birmingham
A menace shoplifter who stuck a dozen times in the Bullring has been jailed.
Sulaiman Kamara targeted Boots in the shopping centre multiple times as well as Claire’s, Holland & Barrett, The Perfume Shop and HMV.
The 34-year-old also broke into DFS in Balsall Heath and The Botanist near the city centre canals.
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He was jailed for nine months at Birmingham Crown Court after pleading guilty to 12 charges of theft and two of burglary.
The shoplifting spree took place between August last year and this February.
Prosecutor Maninder Chaggar said: “The defendant’s mode of operating was exactly the same on each occasion.
“He is seen on CCTV walking into the store, selecting items from the shelves and concealing them in a shopping bag and walking out of the store without offering payment.”
Kamara was arrested on February 13 after raiding HMV for the second time in a matter of days, grabbing two sets of turnstiles only to be caught by security.
Prior to that he burgled DFS in Balsall Heath in December by smashing his way in through the windows shortly after midnight and stealing three lamps.
In January he forced open a rear door at The Botanist on Gas Street and stole £250-worth of alcohol.
Kamara, of Warwick Passage in Birmingham city centre, had 18 previous convictions for 38 offences including escaping lawful custody, burglary, stealing, possessing an imitation firearm, criminal damage and possessing drugs.
Georgina Ellis, defending, said: “Quite clearly he has been addicted to class A drugs for a number of years.”
She said he had abstained from taking drugs since being remanded into custody.
Judge Simon Ash KC acknowledged Kamara had also been homeless at the time.
He said: “Appropriate punishment can only be achieved by immediate custody.
“There is a history of poor compliance with court orders.
“In my judgement there is no reasonable prospect of rehabilitation.
“I’m satisfied it is not appropriate to suspend the sentence.
“If you manage to remain drug-free then the position in relation to whether there’s a realistic prospect of rehabilitation may well change in the future.”
Kamara was told he would serve up to 40 per cent of his sentence before being elligible for release.