Man dragged along by getaway vehicle

A store manager was dragged along and then thrown from a moving car as he tried to stop a group of persistent shoplifters in Northamptonshire.
Gordon Hutchinson was bitten, punched and kicked before being thrown from the car's window as he tried to stop a shoplifter at the Co-op in Manor Road.

Caroline Brown, aged 32, was jailed for 18 months at Crown Court after she admitted injuring the manager as she tried to flee with £150 of alcohol and food.

Matthew Lowe, prosecuting at  Crown Court, said: The defendant is a persistent shoplifter. On October 25 last year, the defendant, another female and a male went out on a shoplifting expedition in Brackley.

As a Renault car was parked near the entrance, Brown loaded a trolley with alcohol, food and goods before leaving it at the exit.

Her female accomplice then took the trolley back to the car and was loading up the stolen goods when Mr Hutchinson confronted them.

Mr Lowe said: "The store manager reached through the window to try to take the keys from the ignition. The defendant who was in the driver's seat started the vehicle and began driving off. As she accelerated, the effect was to pull the manager further into the vehicle.

"The defendant bit him on the hand while the male punched and kicked him and he was eventually pushed out. He was injured but not particularly badly."

Brown, of Golding Close, Daventry, was identified from the store's CCTV and arrested soon afterwards.

Judge Charles Wide QC said: "The courts have tried and tried and tried with you and so have the probation service. You have breached community order after community order and have simply not taken the abundant help offered to you time and time again."

Brown pleaded guilty to assault with intent to resist detention and theft as well as three further shoplifting offences which happened at the BP Garage in Northampton Road, Brackley, stealing more than £1,200 of alcohol in January and February. She was also found guilty of jumping bail in March when she did not turn up at court.

Claire Howell, defending, said Brown had been spending £250 a day to feed a heroin habit.