Silent Crime round-up: Thief who stole £10k beauty haul jailed; elderly couple 'shaken' after home invasion; man jailed after supermarket theft spree

NationalWorld’s Silent Crime series is shining a light on under-reported and unresolved crimes that are continuing to impact everyday lives across the UK. We want to hear from you about your experience - have you felt that reported crimes such as anti-social behaviour has gone unresolved, have you been left in fear over unresolved issues, or have you even avoided making reports about incident?

To tell us your story, write to us here. Our entire local network is working together to report some of the biggest issues

A man was rushed to hospital after a row broke out between two groups of men at a Halifax supermarket, according to the Halifax Courier.

The incident took place in the car park of the ASDA superstore on Hanson Lane at around 9pm on Wednesday, October 2. Detectives said that one man was knocked to the floor unconscious and taken to hospital, with his injuries described as “non-life threatening”.

Cops have urged anyone with any information to come forward and assist in the investigation.

A thief who stole from a Tesco Express six times in one day has been ordered to undertake 60 hours of unpaid work.

The Northampton Chronicle & Echo reports Damion Carvell, 31, took crates of Stella Artois and full English breakfast items during his prolific theft. His haul totalled £114.90 over the space of 16 days, during which he stole from the store 13 times.

Cavell, of nearby Ericsson Close, was ordered to pay £144.90 compensation plus a £114 surcharge to fund victim services — although magistrates decided not to make an order for a contribution to prosecution costs because of the defendant's lack of means.

A prolific thief has been convicted of stealing £10,000 worth of perfume in just one night.

Ionel Dulea, 47, had previously been convicted of shoplifting in five different European countries and has now been jailed in the UK, The Portsmouth News reports. The court heard that the thief “literally shovelled” bottles of perfume and skincare products into a bag as he swiped them from the shelves of high street store Boots.

The Romanian national even admitted in court that he was stunned by the value of his haul, which was part of a £25,000 spree in July 2024. Winchester Crown Court heard Dulea has been convicted of similar offences in France, Spain, Norway and Germany as well as his home country of Romania, where his wife and two children live.

The court also heard from his lawyer that the money he made from the shoplifting spree was sent back to his family in Romania.

Adrienne Knight, defending, said: “The defendant is now 47 years of age and your honour should know he has two children and a wife and the money he has been able to raise from the shoplifting spree - at least half of it has been sent straight back to support his family.

"He lost his job, he was working in a car wash, having come to this country in 2020. He lost his job earlier in the year."

He has now been handed a two-year prison sentence and has been warned that his crimes may led to his deportation from the UK.

An elderly couple in Luton have been left “shaken” after masked men stole cash and valuables from their home during a distraction burglary.

The couple in their 70s received a visit from two men who knocked on their door and said they were there to fix their windows. They then forced their way into the property and escaped from the scene with cash and valuables, according to Luton Today.

Detective Constable Jason Wheeler said: “This incident has left the victims extremely shaken and upset and we need information to find the men responsible. I would ask local residents to check any CCTV or doorbell footage from around that time and ask anyone else who had a visit from these people to let us know.”

A prolific shoplifter has been jailed for stealing items from supermarkets across West Lancashire, as reported by Wigan Today.

Alcohol and confectionary was stolen from a Morrisons store and Aldi store by Simon Ferguson, 34 of Eskbank in Skelmersdale, during a spate of thefts. He was arrested earlier this week and charged with two counts of theft from a shop.

He pleaded guilty to the charges and was sentenced to 16 weeks in prison. PC Chris Hammill from West Lancashire Police said: “This is a really positive result which will hopefully provide reassurance that we take this crime very seriously and will continue to work closely with our partners to ensure that shoplifters are brought to justice.”