Prolific Yorkshire thief who used a 12-year-old to commit crimes jailed

Michael Cash, 34, from Barnsley, has been jailed after he stole £1,000 of alcohol from a supermarket, a court heard.

His crimes have been described as “sophisticated, planned and prolific” after he used a 12-year-old child to assist in the thefts.

On January 7, Cash stole £500 worth of spirits from a Tesco store and went on to steal the same amount of goods from the same store on January 10.

On both occasions, a 12-year-old child was seen putting the bottles of alcohol into baskets and bags for life, with Cash then walking out of the store without paying for any of the items.

On January 19, Cash walked out of a restaurant without paying the total bill of £190.85.

He then committed the same crime on January 30, as he left a bill of £137.70 unpaid.

He was soon arrested and charged with the offences which he pleaded guilty to at Barnsley Magistrates' Court on February 7.

The 34-year-old pleaded guilty to two thefts and two counts of making off without payment from two restaurants in the Darfield and Wombwell areas of Barnsley.

Cash, of Nanny Marr Crescent, Darfield, was jailed at the same court on Wednesday (Feb 21).

PC Carla Wild, who was the officer in charge of the case, called Cash’s crimes “sophisticated, planned and prolific”.

She said: "A judge remarked how his crimes were entrenched in a pattern of dishonesty over a prolonged period and it's clear he paid no thought to the detrimental consequences of his actions on local businesses.”

PC Wild commented on Cash using a child to help commit his crimes, calling this act “a disgraceful example to our younger generations”.

"I hope members of the local communities here in Barnsley will share our relief in knowing that Cash is behind bars and I would encourage anyone who has been a victim of theft or retail crime to report incidents to us so we can properly investigate."