A prolific criminal who burgled Farmfoods on its opening day before dragging a staff member 30ft across a car park as he hung from the side of a car has been jailed.
Carl Poynton, 38, was caught ‘acting suspiciously’ in the staff area of the supermarket on The Viaduct in Accrington by assistant manager Benjamin Lee.
The grandfather was then followed out of the store by Mr Lee and, when he realised he was being followed, fled towards a nearby parked car, Burnley Crown Court heard.
Mr Lee then tried to reach into the car and remove the keys, however Poynton ‘slammed’ the door closed which hit the staff member on the head.
The court heard how Poynton then reversed the car and dragged Mr Lee 30ft across the gravel car park.
When another staff member tried to come to his rescue and remove the car key, Poynton reversed the car again dragging Mr Lee another short distance.
Claire Larton, prosecuting, told the court how the staff member then successfully managed to remove the key before both staff members and a member of the public tried to detain Poynton.
The court heard how Poynton was ‘aggressive and threatening’ and reached into the car glove compartment before pulling out a screwdriver.
Miss Larton said Poynton managed to escape and he was later found by police hiding in the female staff toilets of the local McDonalds.
The court heard how three purses had been stolen from the Farmfoods staff canteen and that the side of Mr Lee’s body was left ‘very grazed’ by the incident.
Miss Larton said the incident happened at around 5.20pm on July 1 this year - the same day the supermarket was celebrating its official opening.
Poynton, of Henry Street, Clayton-le-Moors, pleaded guilty to burglary, dangerous driving, ABH, driving without a licence and using a car without insurance.
He was jailed for 12 months, disqualified from driving for 12 months and ordered to take an extended driving re-test.
The court heard how Poynton had committed 108 previous offences, including around 50 for theft.
Darren Lee-Smith, defending, said Poynton’s life has ‘been blighted by drugs for over 20 years’.
The court heard how the defendant had just been released from a 10-week jail sentence a few weeks before the incident and was ‘off his head’ at the time of the offences.
Mr Lee-Smith told the court: “While in custody the defendant became addicted to legal high substances which, when he was released from custody, he continued taking and committed these offences.
“He had very little recollection of these offences. He borrowed the car to make a legitimate trip to the supermarket.
“He pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity.
“He didn’t put forward any basis of plea in any cheap attempt to try and minimise what he’s done.
“He fully appreciates that this sentence could’ve been a lot more serious than it was. Thankfully there were not more significant injuries that the one’s which were sustained and all of the property was recovered.”
Judge Beverley Lunt said Carl Poynton had a ‘dreadful record’ and only an immediate jail sentence was appropriate
The court heard how Poyton had previously breached 35 court orders for earlier offences.
Sentencing, she said: “The difficulty I have with you is that you always seem to find an excuse for going back to committing crime.
“Only you can stop taking illegal drugs, legal highs and methadone.
“It’s no excuse to say 'my methadone was stopped so therefore I went out and took legal highs' and, as you put it to the probation officer, was ‘off my head’ when you went into Farmfoods.
“You have got a dreadful record petty offences and dishonesty and for breaching court orders and you have been given so many chances.
“If this was just the burglary at Farmfoods then I would look seriously at giving you a chance, but it went up such a notch once you drove that car away with Mr Lee hanging out of it.
“I do take account and I accept that this is panic. You are not trying to hurt anybody. I understand that and I can accept that so I can reduce the sentence.
“It must be an immediate sentence of imprisonment.
“In my judgement the ABH and the dangerous driving are one and the same thing so they can’t be differentiated.”
