Dim thief whose attempts to steal a venetian blind from Northampton attracted global ridicule is sentenced

A Northampton man labelled Britain's worst thief when cameras caught him with a 7ft venetian blind poking out of his trousers has admitted theft charges.
Jessie Bellham has been given an unpaid work order for theft charges - including this attempt to steal a Venetian blind by stuffing it down his trousers.Jessie Bellham has been given an unpaid work order for theft charges - including this attempt to steal a Venetian blind by stuffing it down his trousers.
Jessie Bellham has been given an unpaid work order for theft charges - including this attempt to steal a Venetian blind by stuffing it down his trousers.

Jessie Bellham, aged 39, of Chaucer Street, Kingsley, Northampton, admitted stealing the £48.99 blinds from the Dunelm Mill store in St James Retail Park on October 16 last year.

Two days later, an appeal by Northamptonshire Police - which showed CCTV footage of Bellham leaving the store with the blind tucked into the back of his trousers and clearly protruding through the top of his coat - attracted worldwide attention after it was retweeted almost 11,000 times on Twitter.

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At hearing in December, Northampton magistrates were told he also admitted stealing four bottles of perfume worth £152 from a Tesco store in November 2016, cash from a burglary in October 2016 and breaking into Tanfast in St Leonard’s Road, Far Cotton, last November 2016. He also stole two pairs of shoes in another burglary.

Last week, he appeared at Northampton Crown Court where he was handed the community sentence and instructed to carry out unpaid work for 180 hours, supervised by probation.

Bellham must also carry out 20 days rehabilitation and undergo six months treatment for drug dependency.

He was also ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £85.

Bellham was warned that if he did not comply with the order, he would be brought back to court and could end up with a prison term.