A serial thief with a “penchant” for breaking into Aldi stores has appeared back in court – for breaking into Aldi yet again.
Stephen Leader has a history of targeting the budget supermarket chain, with his local Aldi in Cornhill, his preferred choice when it comes to crime.
The 27-year-old last appeared in court for an Aldi break-in as recently as the end of July when he was handed a 48-day prison term.
And now, he’s been hit with a longer nine-month sentence after admitting yet another supermarket raid.
‘He was within the store for less than five minutes in total’
Leader helped himself to almost £300 of alcohol before quickly being traced at his home nearby – surrounded by the stolen drink and Aldi bags.
Fiscal depute Lucy Simpson told Aberdeen Sheriff Court an Aldi employee who happened to live nearby noticed the lights were on and the rear door open at 12.09am on June 25.
Two minutes later, police received a call advising that an intruder alarm had been activated at the Cornhill shop.
It took the police just eight minutes to arrive, but Leader had already gone.
Officers, along with the neighbouring employee, reviewed CCTV which showed Leader “overcoming the security” at the back door to gain entry.
Ms Simpson told the court: “The footage showed the accused making his way through the warehouse and onto the shop floor, where he picked up two baskets and walked to the alcohol aisle.
“The accused was wearing a hooded top with the hood up, however, his face was visible.
“The accused filled both baskets with various bottles of alcohol and he exited the locus through the insecure rear door.
‘Obviously doomed to fail’
“He was within the store for less than five minutes in total.”
The employee immediately recognised Leader and told officers, who wasted no time in obtaining a warrant and heading round to his house.
There they found the clothing Leader had been wearing during the break-in, as well as the stolen bottle of alcohol.
The total cost of the drink stolen from Aldi was £275.44.
Leader, of HMP Grampian, pled guilty to theft by housebreaking and two charges of breaching bail conditions.
Defence agent Mike Monro said: “During April, May and June of this year, if items had been removed from Aldi, but not through the front door, it was fairly likely Stephen Leader was the person who had taken them.”
The solicitor said Leader’s “pathetic” attempt at a successful heist was “obviously doomed to fail because it was in front of a CCTV camera”.
He added: “He filled some baskets or bags with the Aldi logo on them, took them to his property and he’s sitting in the property with the alcohol and Aldi bags around him when the police attend.”
Mr Monro said the painter and decorator had a “bad alcohol problem” at the time.
Speaking at a previous hearing for a similar case, Mr Monro admitted: “Mr Leader has a penchant for breaking into Aldi in Cornhill.”
Sheriff Graham Buchanan ordered Leader to be jailed for nine months.
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