Chorley burglar smashed into bus station and stole £7,000 of cigarettes from kiosk

A burglar who stole thousands of pounds of cigarettes during two break ins at a small Chorley business has been jailed for 18 months.
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

Leon Kemp, 25, of Cameron Croft, Chorley, targeted the Chorley Interchange Newsagents Kiosk, in Chorley Bus Station, twice in a five day period.

Prosecuting, Kimberley O'Brusik said a member of staff was woken at 2.15am on April 13 as the alarm went off at the shop, activating an app on her mobile phone.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The employee saw, through the app, a man behind the counter stealing cigarettes, and called the police and manager.

Leon KempLeon Kemp
Leon Kemp

They found a window had been smashed at the bus station and then in the kiosk, and £3,500 of cigarettes missing, along with £350 cash from the till and a charity box containing more than £100.

Preston Crown Court heard just five days later, while the small business was still awaiting repair, Kemp returned at around 2.45am, again triggering the alarm and phone app.

This time she saw the same person in the store, and there appeared to be other persons in the vicinity.

A further £3,500 of cigarettes were stolen.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Defending, Sarah Magill, said: "This man's antecedents paint a picture of the difficulties he experienced from the age of 13, when he entered the criminal justice system and Your Honour will see he did not leave once he entered it, despite the efforts of the youth offending team.

"He has offended almost every single year since.

"It is very disappointing for him, his mother and probation that he is in the situation he is in now.

"He explains the situation by saying he has fallen into the use of crack cocaine for the first time in his life - drugs have always been a problem for him, he's got an addictive personality it seems.

"He apologises to the owner of that shop, it was a disgraceful thing to do."

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The court heard he was subject to a 10 month suspended jail term at the time, and nine months of it were activated by Judge Robert Altham, along with nine months for the burglaries.

The judge said the impact on the small business must have been "immense", adding that because Kemp had returned again he "must conclude he simply did not care".

He added: "The disruption of this sort of offending must be enormous to decent, hard working people, she was woken from her bed on two occasions to be told a business for which she was responsible was being targeted.

"People who run small retail outlets work hard to earn an honest living."