Man charged after Jesmond Christmas crime spree left businesses such as Batch ‘devastated’

A man has been charged with multiple counts of burglary in connection with a crime spree that left businesses in Jesmond ransacked over the Christmas period.

Windows and doors were left broken by force with tills and stock missing from a number of Jesmond premises last week.

Police were contacted by staff from multiple shops, cafes and bakeries who reported that their sites had been targeted.

Working in conjunction with colleagues from the burglary team, officers scoured the businesses for forensic evidence and began a trawl of CCTV from the area. A suspect was identified from the footage – and a 47-year-old man was subsequently arrested.

Within 16 hours, he was charged with multiple counts of burglary, and he is due to appear before magistrates in Newcastle later this month.

One of the businesses targeted in the spree was the family-run bakery Batch on Clayton Road which was left 'devastated' by the break-in.

A fundraiser has been set up to help the small business, with over £2,300 raised so far. Writing on the GoFundMe page Frances Eadon-Walker said: "Hello, we are raising money for our family-run bakery in the heart of Jesmond. Unfortunately on Christmas evening, we were burgled. Not only were many important things taken, the shop was destroyed.

"The robbery left us without our till system, plugs, adapters, parts of the fridges, baking equipment, many ingredients and much more. Not to mention it had been vandalised.

"Myself and the team are absolutely devastated, after a difficult few years getting back on our feet, it is heartbreaking to find that our progress has been ripped away from us.

"Batch is a friendly, family-run bakery that seeks to provide delicious bakes and coffee to brighten people’s day. As a team, we want to continue being part of the close community and supporting local businesses from our own. We are doing everything we can to come back from this, however, now is the time we are reaching out to our community.

"Anything you could donate would mean the world of difference to batch. At this difficult time, we ask you to support local and look out for your neighbours. We appreciate all the support we have already had and listening to our story, it really means a lot."

Speaking about the incident, Neighbourhood Inspector Anita Morgan, of Northumbria Police, said: “In December, we were contacted by staff from a number of small businesses in and around Jesmond who had returned to work from a few days off over Christmas and sadly found they had been burgled.

“In some cases, sums of money up to £500 had been stolen, windows had been smashed and items stolen from their stock rooms.

“Burglary is an intrusive crime for all victims, but it can be especially devastating for small businesses which is why we are committed to working with all our partners in the community to tackle this type of criminality.

“Thanks to the swift work of our teams, a suspect has been arrested, charged and will now face the courts. We are committed to tackling burglary and working with businesses and residents alike to help prevent these offences from taking place in the first place.”