Prison for man who stole Mercedes in Wisbech and headbutted police officer

A man has been sentenced to 30 weeks in prison for theft and assault offences in places including Wisbech.

Andrew Yallop appeared at King’s Lynn Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, where he admitted a total of nine offences and was sentenced to 30 weeks in prison.

His crimes included shoplifting, stealing a Mercedes and assaulting a police officer.

On April 7, Yallop, previously of the Grove in Lynn, stole the keys of a Mercedes parked on Old Market Street in Wisbech.

He was seen on CCTV driving it away but was eventually tracked down by police. He lied to them and said he bought the car for £1,200 in cash.

Police arrested Yallop and when they tried to place him in handcuffs, he lunged towards the police officer and “became aggressive”. Yallop then headbutted another police officer.

On April 19, Yallop was seen leaving a BP petrol station in Wisbech. A police officer was at the station filling his car with petrol. Shop staff told the officer that Yallop had stolen various groceries totalling £17.47.

Police found Yallop hiding behind a wall and arrested him.

On April 30, he broke into Mobile Zone on Broad Street in Lynn, stole 22 iPhones worth £7,875.

He then travelled to Peterborough and attempted to sell the stolen goods to a mobile phone shop there. However, things soon backfired for Yallop, when the person he tried to make a sale to was the brother of the person he stole from.

Yallop’s spree of offences started on March 11, when he went into Home Bargains in Lynn and stole alcohol worth £9.98. On April 22, Yallop stole beer and energy drinks worth £19 from Tesco Express on Wootton Road in Lynn.

The next day, Yallop went to Sainsbury’s in Hunstanton and stole more beer.

Yallop has a lengthy criminal record, having previously committed 112 offences.

On April 16, he was charged with stealing laptops from another shop in Lynn town centre.

In mitigation, Ruth Johnson explained to magistrates that Yallop had a difficult upbringing.

She said he grew up in care and had moved 130 times from the ages of ten to 18.

“It is fair to say, out of everybody I have represented, he has one of the most difficult backgrounds I have encountered,” said Ms Johnson.

The solicitor said that Yallop has never used his background as an excuse for his offending.

She said the reason for Yallop’s spree of offending was that he was recently diagnosed with cancer.

“This year, he has been diagnosed with cancer in the joints. It is not life-threatening and he is having treatment,” said Ms Johnson.

“It is fair to say it has been completely life-changing information for him, he is only 32.”

Ms Johnson explained that Yallop has been in police custody since Monday and that his time in custody has made him “come to terms that things need to change”.

Alongside his prison sentence, Yallop was ordered to pay compensation to all of the shops he stole from.