A violent serial shoplifter used knives, golf clubs and even a dirty needle as weapons against anyone who tried to stop him.
John Baxter terrorised shop staff across Aberdeen – and even assaulted a 74-year-old woman who tried to block his escape from Marks & Spencer with her trolley.
The 30-year-old thief also vowed to “stab” the workers with knives, scissors and a needle, which he said was infected with HIV.
He also punched them and hit one with a golf club.
Fiscal depute Ellen Barr told Aberdeen Sheriff Court the first incident happened at 5.30pm on March 28 at M&S in Union Square.
She said a 74-year-old woman suspected Baxter was shoplifting and so followed him while alerting staff.
‘I’ll stab you and slit your throat’
Mrs Barr said: “She used her shopping trolley to try and block the accused from entering the lift and exiting the locus.
“At this time, the accused shouted at her to move and repeatedly pushed the trolley at her which made contact with her body before making off into the lift and exiting the store.”
The elderly lady was left with pain and bruising to her ribs.
Just after 1pm on May 27, a supervisor at Farmfoods on Great Northern Road suspected Baxter was shoplifting.
But when he tried to stop the thief from leaving, Baxter warned: “If you don’t move, I’ll stab you with this heroin needle with HIV on it.”
He produced an uncapped needle from his pocket and motioned it towards the shop worker who moved aside and let him leave.
At 7pm the very next day, Baxter targeted Co-op on Rosehill Drive and was again challenged by staff.
He told a security guard: “You can check my bag, I’m not stealing anything.”
But Baxter then attempted to leave and, as he did so, took out a six-inch knife which he brandished at the security guard, making “stabbing motions”.
The man tried to push a basket into his arm to make him drop the knife but Baxter escaped and taunted: “Come for a fight. I’ll stab you and slit your throat.”
During the afternoon of June 30, Baxter returned to the Co-op store where the same security guard was again on duty.
When asked to leave, due to the previous incident, Baxter replied: “How do you know I don’t have a knife this time?”
Golf club assault and stab threats
On the same afternoon, Baxter attended at American Golf at the Haudagain Retail Park.
Baxter, holding two golf clubs, walked up to an employee and said “I want to take these, I’m going to take these” before trying to walk out without paying.
The shop worker took hold of Baxter’s arm to stop him from leaving, at which point Baxter dropped one of the clubs and swung the other one at the man, hitting his lower back.
Baxter bragged that he was “wanted for murder” and the terrified employee let him leave.
The total value of the clubs was £898, although one was recovered undamaged.
On July 3, at 2.40pm, Baxter returned to the Great Northern Road Farmfoods store.
Again he was suspected of stealing and, as he left, he barged into a manager and “threatened to stab him if he did not let him leave”.
The man grabbed a carrier bag from Baxter but then tripped as Baxter took a pair of scissors from his pocket which he brandished and threatened to stab him with.
The manager managed to get back to his feet and stood in the doorway, but Baxter “made a forward motion towards the complainer’s stomach whilst still in possession of the scissors”.
Moving back, the man fell to the ground and Baxter continued to make stabbing motions towards him as he lay on the floor and then left.
The following day, Baxter, this time wearing a face mask, went back to American Golf.
Asda staff assaulted
He approached a member of staff and held a knife with a four-inch blade towards him.
He warned: “This is an armed robbery, don’t stop me or you’ll get f****** hurt.”
The startled employee stepped aside and let Baxter leave with two golf clubs worth £398 in total.
At 9.30pm that evening, Baxter turned his attention to Asda at the beach, where he was seen removing the security tags from three packets of razors and placing them in the waistband of his trousers.
As he tried to leave, two employees ushered him back inside and requested he return the stolen items.
He handed over two of the packs of razors and was told if he didn’t give back the other packet the police would be called.
At this, Baxter started to struggle, attempted to punch the male employee and did punch a female member of staff, connecting with her jaw and leaving her with tenderness.
The male also injured his finger in the struggle and required it to be staved at hospital.
‘Touch me and I will stab you’
The items stolen were valued at £103.50, of which £76.50 was recovered.
At 7.30pm on July 6, Baxter attended Morrisons on Back Hilton Road where he started to place household cleaning products in a black suitcase.
An employee approached and asked him to remove the items, but Baxter warned he would “get him done with assault” if he touched him.
He went on to push the employee out of the way before leaving and warning: “Touch me and I will stab the f*** out of you.”
The items stolen were worth £57.30 and were recovered a short time later.
Baxter, a prisoner of HMP Grampian, pled guilty to 17 charges.
He admitted:
- Assault to injury x 4
- Assault x 5
- Possession of an offensive weapon x 2
- Behaving in a threatening or abusive manner
- Theft by shoplifting x 4
- Possession of an article with a blade or point
Not guilty pleas were accepted to a further 11 charges of a broadly similar nature.
Defence agent Graham Morrison advised: “There’s a significant mental health background here.”
‘It’s really a quite appalling course of conduct’
Sheriff Graham Buchanan commented: “It’s quite extraordinary really because there are just so many offences of exactly the same type.
“I don’t suppose you would disagree with the suggestion that there’s really no alternative here to a custodial sentence.
“What is particularly concerning about this is the nature of the threats made to a number of perfectly innocent people working in shops and simply doing their jobs, being threatening with weapons and so on.”
Mr Morrison replied: “I couldn’t argue with that.”
The sheriff continued: “It’s really a quite appalling course of conduct.”
Addressing Baxter directly, Sheriff Buchanan said: “These are extremely serious matters and I think it’s probably inevitable that a significant prison sentence will be imposed.
“I need to get some more information about the level of risk you may pose to the general public.”
He deferred sentence for background reports until February and remanded Baxter in custody.
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