A shop thief who stole more than £2,000 worth of goods from duty free shops has been sentenced.
Guillermo Vargas was travelling through London Gatwick Airport before boarding a flight to Seville.
The 30-year-old was seen trying on sunglasses, then leaving the store without paying.
But airport security alerted the police, and officers turned up at the gate, removing Vargas from the plane before it could depart.
When questioned, he admitted stealing sunglasses and a bottle of alcohol, and further search found he had ten pairs of sunglasses in his bag, two bottles of fragrance, as well as a Real Madrid football shirt and a box of headphones.
Officers also seized £8,000 in cash which he had on his person.
At Crawley Magistrates’ Court on October 16, Vargas, of Durham Road, Canning Town, London, admitted four counts of theft from a shop.
The court was told how the incident shortly after 11pm on September 28.
CCTV showed Vargas taking items and concealing them in a bag.
He had not paid for the items that were taken.
Vargas was sentenced for 300 hours of unpaid work and must also pay £85 costs and a £114 surcharge.
Detective Sergeant Ian Warncken from Gatwick CID said:
“Vargas must have thought he had got away as he took his seat on the aircraft.
“But we work in partnership with retailers and with London Gatwick Airport to ensure that he was stopped and arrested.
“We are determined to prevent shop thefts which cause concern to communities and can be very stressful for the public and staff working in shops.
“Vargas has now been sentenced, and it demonstrates that we will pursue prosecutions against offenders.”
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