Knife-wielding thug threatened shop supervisor during Sheffield crime spree

Repeat offender Benjamin Mellor, aged 35, of no fixed abode, committed a series of offences at stores between June and July including Blacks, Holland and Barrett and Deichmann’s and he was also caught by police with a meat cleaver and a knife in the city centre, according to a Sheffield Crown Court hearing.

Prosecuting barrister Emma Hughes told the court on October 11 that the defendant initially assaulted a shop supervisor at Holland and Barrett and went on to steal handbags at Deichmann's where he also committed an assault and pulled out a knife. Ms Hughes added that Mellor also committed a common assault at Blacks, and he was also caught with a knife and a meat cleaver in his trousers by police as he was sitting on steps in Sheffield city centre.

Defence barrister Richard Adams said: “He has little or no recollection of these events but what he does have –reading the accounts of the victims – is considerable regret that he perpetrated this behaviour against them.”

Ms Hughes explained Mellor was seen in Blacks on June 20 taking two pairs of gloves and when he was approached by the female assistant manager he threatened her and said he would spit on her and he claimed he had HIV. Mellor was also spotted in Holland and Barrett on July 2 with protein powder, according to Ms Hughes, and when a female shop worker and a member of the public tried to prevent him from leaving he threw punches towards the member of the public.

Mrs Hughes added Mellor also went in to Deichmann's on July 2 where he stole handbags which activated an alarm and he produced a knife as he was challenged by the shop supervisor. Mellor was found by police during the same day on steps in Sheffield city centre with a meat cleaver and a knife sticking out of the waistband of his trousers.

The defendant admitted committing shop theft, assault by beating, two common assaults, and two counts of possessing a bladed article, namely a knife and a cleaver, between June 20 and July 2.

Mr Adams said: “There is a pre-sentence report that identifies that 35-year-old Mr Mellor has a number of issues. The main issue can be categorised as a chaotic lifestyle. Drug misuse dominates within that and it has done for the last 10 years. He has chronic difficulties dealing with finances and he has been unable to obtain accommodation. That has been a cycle now for 10 years and as a consequence he is a man who lives on the margins and the city’s streets are his home and as a consequence he has found it difficult to leave a cycle – prison, back to drugs, homelessness and an underlying difficulty with mental health.”

Judge Graham Reeds told Mellor, who has 27 previous convictions for 51 offences, he has a ‘terrible record’ for stealing and hitting people as well as a previous conviction for possessing an offensive weapon. He told Mellor now is the time for ‘proper punishment’ to protect the public as he sentenced the defendant to 70 weeks of custody.