A FORMER IRANIAN ARMY OFFICER WENT OUT SHOPLIFTING
A FORMER IRANIAN ARMY OFFICER WENT OUT SHOPLIFTING JUST
AFTER HE HEARD HIS BROTHER HAD BEEN KILLED IN IRAN.
MAHOOD ARMINZADEH,28, SPENT TEN YEARS IN THE IRANIAN ARMY
BEFORE COMING TO BRITAIN AS A REFUGEE LAST YEAR, SAID MS
CAROLINE WRIGHT, DEFENDING.
BUT JOBLESS AND SPEAKING NO ENGLISH, HE FOUND LIFE IN
ENGLAND DIFFICULT, WILLESDEN CROWN COURT HEARD.
ON JANUARY 15 THIS YEAR, AFTER HIS BROTHER’S DEATH, HE WAS
SEEN PUTTING #30 WORTH OF GOODS INTO A BAG BY A STORE DETECTIVE
AT UNDERWOODS, QUEENSWAY, PADDINGTON.
MS JANE SULLIVAN, PROSECUTING, SAID HE WAS ARRESTED AFTER
HE LEFT THE STORE WITHOUT PAYING.
IT WAS HIS SECOND SHOP-LIFTING OFFENCE.
HE WAS FINED #80
IN OCTOBER LAST YEAR FOR A SIMILAR CRIME.
AT FIRST ARMINZADEH DENIED THE THEFT FROM UNDERWOODS
BECAUSE HE WAS FRIGHTENED OF BEING SENT BACK TO IRAN, MS WRIGHT
SAID.
BUT AFTER HIS STATUS AS A REFUGEE IN BRITAIN WAS CONFIRMED
HE PLEADED GUILTY TODAY TO THE THEFT.
THE EX-SOLDIER, OF UXBRIDGE ROAD, EALING, WAS JAILED FOR
28 DAYS SUSPENDED FOR ONE YEAR.
PASSING SENTENCE, ASSISTANT RECORDER MARKHAM-DAVID TOLD
HIM ‘YOU OBVIOUSLY HAVE SERIOUS PROBLEMS IN THIS COUNTRY AND YOU
HAVE CLEARLY HAD SERIOUS PROBLEMS IN YOUR OWN COUNTRY AND THE
COURT IS SYMPATHETIC TO YOU FOR THOSE REASONS.
THE COURT HEARD HE REQUIRES IN-PATIENT TREATMENT TO CURE
HIS ADDICTION TO TRANQUILLISERS.
HE WAS PRESCRIBED THE DRUGS IN
IRAN BECAUSE OF THE STRESS HE SUFFERED THERE.
ENDS.
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