Two Men Face Charges After Sutton Coldfield Co-op Shoplifting Incidents
A man has been sentenced to prison and another has been formally charged following separate shoplifting offences that occurred at the same Co-op store in Sutton Coldfield. The incidents took place at the Birmingham Road location in the Wylde Green area, prompting swift action from local police officers.
Police Patrol Leads to First Arrest
Officers from the Sutton Trinity Neighbourhood Team were conducting routine patrols in Wylde Green on Sunday, February 15, when they observed a man behaving suspiciously outside the Co-op store on Birmingham Road. According to police reports, the individual attempted to flee from officers but was quickly apprehended.
Further investigation revealed that items had been stolen from the Co-op premises, though security staff at the store managed to intervene during the incident. The arrested man was identified as 53-year-old Karl Bamford from Vicarage Road in Hockley, Birmingham.
Bamford was initially arrested on suspicion of attempted theft and recall to prison. He has since been formally charged with shop theft and is scheduled to appear before magistrates to answer these allegations.
Second Incident Discovered During Investigation
While police were dealing with the first shoplifting case, officers identified a second theft incident occurring at the same Co-op store. This led to the arrest of 32-year-old Josh Densley from Old Castle Grove in Brownhills.
Densley was arrested on suspicion of shop theft and subsequently faced additional arrests for two counts of theft, recall to prison, and two counts of burglary. He has been charged with five counts of shop theft along with obstructing a police officer in the execution of their duties.
Court Proceedings and Sentencing
Both men appeared at Birmingham Magistrates' Court on Monday, February 16, where their cases were heard. Josh Densley pleaded guilty to all six offences against him and received a sentence of 20 weeks imprisonment for his crimes.
Karl Bamford's case continues through the legal system as he awaits his court appearance to answer the shop theft charge brought against him by prosecutors.
Police Statement on the Incidents
A spokeswoman for West Midlands Police provided details about the coordinated police response. "Two men have been arrested for theft offences after swift action from Sutton Coldfield neighbourhood officers," she stated.
"Officers from Sutton Trinity Neighbourhood Team were patrolling the Wylde Green area this morning when they spotted a man acting suspiciously outside a store on Birmingham Road. He tried to run away from officers, but we caught up with him," the police representative explained.
"Through further enquiries we discovered items had been stolen from the store, but security staff managed to intervene. During this incident, officers also spotted a second incident of theft from the same store," she added, highlighting the dual nature of the police operation.
The police spokeswoman confirmed that both men have now been charged in connection with the shoplifting offences at the Sutton Coldfield Co-op location.
