16 February 2024 , 14:42
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A supermarket thief who 'struck over 500 times' and hit a security worker with his car has been put behind bars.
Samad Ali, who stole from 40 stores in the West Midlands between October 2022 and April last year, was caught after he was recognised by a security worker in Minworth, Sutton Coldfield. The worker tried to stop Ali from driving off but was carried on the bonnet of his car for some distance before falling off.
Luckily, he wasn't seriously hurt. Police later arrested Ali at his home in Lansdowne Road, Lozells. He admitted to 64 counts of theft and asked for another 447 similar offences to be considered. He also confessed to dangerous driving and having an offensive weapon.
It's understood by police that the 26-year-old stole items worth over £18,000.
Police built up a range of evidence to identify Ali as being responsible for the series of offences across stores in Birmingham, Wolverhampton, Walsall, Coventry, Dudley, Sandwell and further afield in Staffordshire and West Mercia. He was later arrested at his home.
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The roofer who stole from an old couple was sent to jail for two years last Wednesday, February 7 at Birmingham Crown Court. PC Sohail Khan of Birmingham CID stated: "Ali was a prolific thief who repeatedly took items from supermarkets across the region.
"Given the amount of offences I have absolutely no doubt he would have continued to steal had we not stopped him. He was not concerned about harming others and it's just fortunate the security worker was not more seriously hurt."