Man who stole 200,000 Creme Eggs is jailed

Joby Pool admitted taking the eggs from an industrial unit in Telford

A man who stole 200,000 Cadbury Creme Eggs weeks before Easter has been jailed.

Joby Pool admitted at an earlier hearing to taking a trailer of the chocolate from an industrial unit in Telford, Shropshire, in February this year.

The haul of sweet treats was valued at more than £31,000.

Pool, aged 32, from Tingley, near Leeds, was sentenced to 18 months with half to be spent in prison.

The six months he has already spent in custody will be counted towards the nine months in jail.

Pool, of Dewsbury Road, used a tractor unit stolen in Yorkshire in October to tow away the trailer, Shrewsbury Crown Court heard.

The stolen chocolate was then driven northbound on the M42 where he gave himself up by walking towards police "with his hands up", a previous hearing was told.

Pool was caught transporting 200,000 of the gooey chocolate treats

Pool, who appeared in the dock in a grey long-sleeved shirt on Thursday, had previously admitted theft.

He had also pleaded guilty to criminal damage to a lock at the trailer park and driving without insurance.

At his conviction hearing, the prosecution said the offence was not "spur of the moment", and there had been "significant planning".

In response, the defendant's solicitor said there had been "no interference with the food products that were taken" and that they were able to go back on the shelves.

At Thursday's hearing, Debra White said in Pool's defence he had shown "genuine remorse" and was sorry for the effect on his family and the firm involved.

"There were two significant losses in his life, then a third loss in terms of his relationship, and a fourth in terms of the loss of his business," she said.

Pool turned to drugs and alcohol but took "full responsibility" for what happened, Ms White added.

'Significant planning'

Judge Anthony Lowe said he was not convinced Pool was the only person involved in the theft.

"If one looks at what must have happened here, we are looking at a significant degree of planning," he added.

"You are not a man of good character as you have committed theft before in 2019."

As well as the jail sentence, the judge added a month to be served concurrently for the criminal damage and six points to Pool's driving licence for the insurance offence.

In a series of tweets posted two days after the theft, West Mercia Police said they "helped save Easter" by foiling the thief.

The force said it had been hunting individuals "presumably purporting to be the Easter bunny".

Along with the Creme Eggs a number of other chocolate varieties were also stolen, police said.