'Brazen' thief swiped high-end watches worth £6,000 from Rushden Lakes store

Connor Lennon and an accomplice wrestled to open the glass cabinet at Cotswold Outdoor before totally emptying into a specially-adapted coat.

The watches have never been recovered.

Now Lennon has appeared in court to be sentenced for the theft.

Northampton Crown Court heard how the 32-year-old was spotted on CCTV with another man, said to be his brother Robert, entering the store on February 18 last year.

Prosecuting, barrister Micaila Williams told the court how the men managed to take watches worth £5,889.99.

She said: “They proceeded to a secure glass cabinet containing an array of high end Garmin watches.

"Connor Lennon makes and effort to prise the cabinet open.”

Lennon held the sleeve of his jacket over his hand to ensure his fingerprints and DNA didn’t transfer to the cabinet.

Once open, the pair took every watch out of the cabinet and pushed them into Robert Lennon’s beige jacket, which Ms Williams said must have been adapted to contain the bulky watch boxes.

Staff didn’t initially notice the theft but when they discovered the cabinet empty, they watched the offence back on CCTV.

The pair’s faces were recognised from the Northamptonshire Business Crime Partnership’s database following a previous theft in the county.

Wearing a Balmain sweater, Lennon, of Forest End, Waterlooville, Hampshire, carried a bag into the dock with him in case he was sent to prison.

He had previously admitted the theft at a pre-trial hearing in November.

The court heard how, nine days previous to the offence at Rushden Lakes, Lennon was caught stealing bottles of champagne from M&S at Sixfields, Northampton. He was given a community order for that offence.

He has 18 offences on his criminal record including for theft and violence.

In mitigation, the court heard how Lennon had secured legitimate employment and was now earning £946 a week, as well as completing unpaid work for his previous offence at weekends, and caring for his wife and children. He also had an addiction to class-A drugs.

Sentencing Lennon, His Honour Judge David Herbert KC said: “It was a brazen display of theft.”

He said that the crime crossed the custody threshold but as Lennon had been complying well with all parts of his community order, he would suspend the sentence.

"You say you have turned a corner and there’s some evidence to support that, Time will tell.” said Judge Herbert.

He gave him a six month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months. He will have to complete 70 hours of unpaid work. He was also ordered to pay Cotswold Outdoor £2,400 in compensation at a rate of £100 per month for two years.

- The second defendant, Robert Lennon, 37, who has not been charged, remains wanted by the police.