Man jailed for two robberies at Spalding supermarkets

A 36-year-old man has been found guilty of robbery and sentenced to three years in prison.

Shane Cooper, of no fixed address, appeared at Lincoln Crown Court on 18 June 2026 charged with two counts of robbery which took place at the Sainsburys and the Coop supermarkets in Holland Market and Clover Way respectively in Spalding on 6 December 2026.

He pleaded guilty to the lesser offence of theft, however, the court heard how he made threats to employees while taking items from the store, threatening to stab those shop workers on both occasions. He was subsequently found guilty of the more significant offence of robbery, even though he was found not to be in possession of a weapon at the time of the offence.

Cooper has been issued with a Criminal Behaviour Order which will last for two years starting 18 June 2026, prohibiting him from entering any retail premises in Spalding, other than two named stores.

Sergeant Callum Corder, of South Holland Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: "Our team detained Cooper with unmarked vehicles checking known hot spots for prolific offenders. We deploy many tactics, which you may not see, to detain community targets. We have worked closely with our Response officer colleagues to achieve the results in this case. This conviction sends a clear message that community offending such as shop lifting can have very significant consequences if offenders use or threaten violence while carrying out that offence, even if they are not in possession of a weapon."

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