Hartlepool man charged with stealing nearly £8,000 of duty free goods from airports and ferries

Michael Gales, 34, who is from Hartlepool, is said to have committed five alleged offences over a six-month period in the second half of last year.

The total value of the goods he is suspected of stealing, which include perfume, cigarettes and alcohol, is £7,747.40p.

The first charges relate to the alleged thefts on the same day of a “quantity of various perfume items” worth £1,910 and hair straighteners worth £839.20p.

These goods are said to have been stolen on separate P & O ferries travelling between Dover and Calais on July 7 of last year.

Court documents state the alleged offences took place on “the high seas”.

Gales is then accused of stealing a large amount of perfume amounting to £3,509.90p from World Duty Free at Newcastle Airport on December 17.

He is also charged with the theft of £243 of cigarettes from World Duty Free at Heathrow Airport on the same day.

Gales, who lives in Windermere Road, is additionally charged with stealing a bottle of Bushmills Causeway Collection Whiskey costing £1,245 from Heathrow Airport on December 22.

He appeared in court for the first time in connection with all five charges on January 15.

The case was adjourned at Teesside Magistrates’ Court, in Middlesbrough, until next month.

Gales was granted bail by the court on the condition that he sleeps and lives at Windermere Road until his next court appearance.