Magnet thief caught after walking into police station to complain about appeal poster

A thief was caught when he walked into a police station to complain about a CCTV image of him appearing on a wanted poster. Nicholas Allegretto entered Parkside station in Cambridge bemoaning the circulation of the picture, which captured him in a hardware shop just before he stole an industrial magnet. The 23-year-old was immediately interviewed by officers and reported for the February 2 offence, which took place at Mackays of Cambridge. On Wednesday he was convicted of theft in his absence by city magistrates.



Neil Mackay, owner of the shop, which has been in the family for more than 100 years, said he was baffled by the thief's actions, adding that no-one could have identified him from the poster they put out. The poster had two lines blocking Allegretto's face and warned him that staff know what he looks like if he was to return. Mr Mackay said after the trial: "I can't imagine why he wanted to go to the police station." Paul Roach, prosecuting, said Allegretto was spotted taking the £23.78 Eclipse engineering magnet and leaving the store. He was confronted by a member of staff and ran off.



He described how Allegretto walked into Parkside police station a week later angry about the image being published in the local press and on social media. Mr Roach told magistrates: "It would seem that what happened is that this photograph of the suspect, I think it was put up in the shop, then found its way into the local press. It was as a result of this photograph that the defendant then went to the station to complain about his photograph being published." Mr Roach added the defendant was interviewed about the incident and reported for the theft. In that interview, Allegretto told police he intended to pay for the item but was apprehended by staff before he had the chance. He suggested he was probably stopped because of "the way I carry myself" adding: "I just look dodgy".


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Asked why he had come to the police station, he replied: "I found out I was put into the papers and on Facebook regarding this matter. My family started to suffer as a result of this. My younger sister was mocked at school and my boss at the roofing company said he could not trust me and I lost my job. I'm just very unhappy being accused of something I have not done." But the court found Allegretto guilty, with chief magistrate Phil King saying the evidence from shop staff was "clear, compelling and credible" and the identification of the defendant as the thief was "equally compelling". He will be sentenced at later date. Mr Mackay, who has a rogues' gallery of alleged thieves in his shop, said he was "thrilled" by justice being served, adding shoplifting has been blighting businesses across Cambridge.