A shoplifter coolly walked off with four bottles of wine from a Sainsbury’s store, undeterred by a staff member filming him on a body camera.
The incident, which occurred on December 4 at the Stroud Green Road branch in Finsbury Park, north London, showcased the thief’s brazen demeanor as he casually selected his preferred bottles from the shelves.
In a bold attempt to identify the culprit, an employee tried to pull down the hood of the man’s coat to capture his face on camera.
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However, the shoplifter remained unfazed, ignoring the surrounding staff and exiting the supermarket with the stolen goods.
The store is located near Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium, in a busy area frequented by locals and shoppers.
The blatant nature of the theft left residents in disbelief.
Calvin McDonald expressed frustration, saying, “Wouldn’t be happening if I was there.
I’d tell them to put the bottle away, apologize, or enjoy a night in the cells.
Sometimes you’ve got to give people a chance to do the right thing—though they’d be foolish not to listen.”
Others pointed fingers at changes in supermarket operations.
One individual criticized self-checkout systems, stating, “They cut all their staff and expected customers to serve themselves.
This is the result.”
Another voiced anger over the lack of intervention, exclaiming, “No one is stopping him.
For f*cks sake.”
Some recounted their local approaches to theft.
“This doesn’t happen in my shop,” said one commenter.
“Guys tried it once, but word got around after the bat came out.
Hate this ‘take what you want’ attitude.
I ain’t an angel, but I was never a thief.
You want something, work for it.”
The incident highlights a wider surge in shoplifting cases across the UK, linked to the ongoing cost-of-living crisis.
Sainsbury’s, which began equipping staff with body cameras in 2020 to deter attacks and thefts, confirmed the matter had been reported to the police.
A spokesperson said, “We reported the incident to the police and are supporting their investigation with CCTV and body cam footage.”
The Metropolitan Police have been contacted for further comment.
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