'Britain's dumbest crook' sentenced after trying to hide 7ft blind down back of coat
A bungling shoplifter who tried to hide a 7ft venetian blind down the back of his coat has been given a 12-month community sentence.
Jessie Bellham, 39, became a viral sensation last year when images of him attempting to smuggle the huge blind from a branch of Dunelm Mill were shared on social media.
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The thief helped himself to the £48.99 item from the store in St James Retail Park, Northampton, on October 16 last year.
Due to its size, Bellham opted to pop his hood up and conceal the item between the back of his coat and his trouser leg.
In the wake of the publicity surrounding his comedy crime, one Facebook user summed up the sentiment of the nation, writing: “This has got to be Britain’s dumbest crook.”
Another described him as “a moron”, while asking, “how on earth was he thinking he could get away with that?”
Bellham admitted several other crimes at Northampton Crown Court last week, including stealing perfume from a branch of Tesco and two pairs of shoes from a tanning shop.
He was handed a 12-month community sentence order and ordered to complete 180-hours of unpaid work.
