A MAN pleaded guilty to five charges of stealing designer clothes.

James Prenctice 38, of King Edward Drive, Grays, appeared at Basildon Magistrates Court charged with a number of thefts on five different days.

He stole seven Ralph Lauren polo shirts valued at £833, three Tommy Hilfiger tops valued at £210, four Tommy Hilfiger jumpers valued at £400, three Ralph Lauren Jumpers costing £546 and two Hugo Boss jackets worth £630.

All the thefts took place from the House of Fraser.

Prentice has been released on bail on condition he does not enter the intu Lakeside shopping centre and he will reappear for sentence at Basildon Magistrates' Court on 4 March.

A MAN who is alleged to have carried a knife and a hammer with him while committing a theft from a Tilbury store was remanded in custody until his trial later this month.

Tony Burgess, 37, of Southey Walk, Tilbury, admitted two earlier offences of stealing meat and washing up liquid from a Co-op store in the town.

On January 19 this year he is alleged to have stolen cigarettes from the Co-op on Portsea Road, while carrying the weapons.

He will face trial at Basildon Crown Court on 20 February and magistrates felt he had to be kept behind bars because of the seriousness of the offence and his previous record and character.

POLICE came in for criticism when Basildon magistrates dealt with the case of an Aveley man brought before them.

Robert Kennedy, 31, of Monnow Green, admitted stealing £330 in cash from the Londis store in South Ockendon. He was ordered to pay the money back and it will be deducted at a rate of £5 per week from his benefits.

Magistrates deemed there was no requirement for Kennedy to pay costs because of the police failure in properly dealing with the case.

JOHN Bibby, 42, of Hollis Place, Grays, admitted assaulting Kelly Whitehair.

He was ordered to carry out 150 hours of unpaid community work and pay costs and a surcharge totalling £195.

JOSHUA Carlisle Lovell, 27, of Charles Street, Grays, admitted assaulting Ben Payne in Grays on 19 December last year.

He was fined £80 and ordered to pay costs and a surcharge totalling £82. The money will be deducted from his benefits.

MARK Crawley, 35, of Salisbury Avenue, Stanford-le-Hope admitted destroying four fence slats valued at £50, the property of Laura Hatfield, when he appeared at Basildon Magistrates' Court. He was also in breach of a previous non-molestation order.

Crawley was fined £80 and ordered to pay compensation of £50 as well as costs and a surcharge totalling £137.

The money will be deducted from his benefits.

DARREN John Harrington, 44, of Wokindon road, Grays, admitted using threatening behaviour against Daniel Marsh and also a charge of possession two small bags of cannabis.

He was given a 12 month conditional discharge and ordered to pay £100 compensation for the assault and

A 48-YEAR-old man from Stifford Clays faces two charges attempting to defraud Thurrock Council.

Nesrin Carslake, of Leaseway, has admitted falsely stating his income and the amount of money he has in a bid to gain housing benefit.

He will face Basildon Crown Court later this month when a confiscation order will be considered in a bid to reclaim funds.

THOMAS Reece Ellisdon, 21, of George Tilbury House, Chadwell St Mary, admitted a breach of a community order by failing to attend a meeting or fulfil an unpaid community work commitment. He was ordered to pay costs of £60 and the compliance date of his original order was extended.

TWO 18-year-old women will stand trial later this month charged with causing grievous bodily harm.

A Lithuanian woman, Laura Albrektaite who lives at Shannon Way, Aveley, has been sent for trial at Basildon Crown Court charged with causing grivous bodily harm to Johnny Nath.

Also charged with the same offence is Niamh Hughes of Central Avenue, also in Aveley.

They were both released on bail on condition they do not not contact their alleged victim or enter the intu Lakeside retail and shopping areas.

SANDRA Bamigbola, 22, of Brices Wharf Road, Grays, has pleaded not guilty to assaulting Keisha King in an incint on West Thurrock Way in October last year.

She will appear for trial before Basildon magistrates in April.