Wallingford shop owner says burglar’s sentence ‘not enough’

Stephen Perkins, owner of independent digital repair shop Help I’ve Broken It in St Martin’s Street, Wallingford, said the business is still recovering from the burglary it suffered last October.

The shop owner discovered the windows smashed in, displays broken, devices damaged and thousands of pounds worth of electronics stolen on the morning of October 15.

Help I’ve Broken It in St Martins Street, Wallingford, suffered massive damage in a burglary (Image: Stephen Perkins)

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Jonathon Dobson, of Tudor Close, Wallingford, was sentenced to two years in jail and an 18-month driving ban for that and other offences at Oxford Crown Court on Wednesday, April 22.

Mr Perkins said the sentence doesn’t stack up against the impact of his actions.

“It’s not enough,” he said. “It just isn’t enough.

“It’s nice that he’s been sentenced and we know he’s not on the streets of Wallingford anymore, but at the same time, in six months times he’s going to be back out, in Wallingford, probably doing the same again.

“It doesn’t seem a very harsh lesson for the amount of damage that he’s done.”

The sentencing saw 44-year-old Dobson face the consequences for offences including two non-dwelling burglaries, theft from cars and theft of e-bikes in Wallingford, driving while under the influence of alcohol and driving without a licence or insurance.

Johnathon Dobson (Image: TVP)

All the offences were committed on the same day of the break-in at Mr Perkin’s store, on October 15 last year.

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Dobson was caught with 59 micrograms of alcohol in 100ml of breath after the crime spree, well over the 35 micrograms per 100ml legal driving limit.

The court heard that after stealing high value goods like mobile phones and sat navs from Help I’ve Broken It, causing the store to lose around four days of trading and items worth £3,000, he then drove to Wyatt Way and stole two e-bikes, worth £4,030.

Oxford Crown Court (Image: Newsquest)

Then, in the same road, he broke into several vehicles and stole items such as a jacket, wallet and brown bag.

He then broke into a nearby garage and made off with spirits, Champagne, beer and power tools valued at £1,200.

Mr Perkins said: “The court heard it was £3,000 but our insurance claim was around £11,500 worth. It wasn’t a little deal.

“The police did do their due diligence. I’m glad they caught the bloke, but it’s a shame they never managed to tag anybody else along with it our find our devices.

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“We’re not fully recovered yet. We’re still recouping some of the costs of it, which we’re never going to do I think. We’re just going to have to take the hit and carry on.”

Gordana Austin, mitigating counsel, asked the judge for a suspended sentence as Dobson ‘has motivation to change’ and, having spent six months in custody awaiting his court date, is ‘now free of drugs and alcohol’.

Judge Hassan Khan handed Dobson a two-year prison sentence and banned him from the road for 18 months for the driving offences.