Two men have been found guilty of theft after they stole around £1,400 worth of beauty products from a supermarket. 

Gerard McDonagh, 20, of Uplands Road, Romford, and John McDonagh, 23, of Pembury Road, London, denied stealing items from Sainsbury’s at Warren Heath in Ipswich in May 2021.

On Thursday at Ipswich Crown Court, after three hours and 27 minutes of deliberations, a jury returned a guilty verdict in the cases of both men.

Ipswich Star: John McDonagh and Gerard McDonagh have been found guiltyJohn McDonagh and Gerard McDonagh have been found guilty (Image: Newsquest)

During the trial, the court heard the pair were spotted on CCTV placing products in their rucksacks in a shopping trolley by security staff, who went to confront them.

When approached, they left the store and ran down the side of the building towards Felixstowe Road. 

As they ran off, they had discarded their rucksacks in bushes and were both detained shortly afterwards by police.

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The pair denied the charges and said they never meant to leave the shop without paying for the items and claimed they only placed them in the rucksack to check they would fit.

They said they were trying to buy the items on discount to sell for a profit at a car boot sale, and that they had intended to set up Apple Pay on their phone while in the store so they could pay for the goods, but were unable to do so. 

They claimed that they fled the shop as they were scared of the store detective whom they said was shouting at them and would not identify himself, which the staff member denies. 

The pair were bailed and are due to be sentenced on August 18.