Ipswich: Store thug surrendered after checking himself out in the Evening Star
GUILT got the better of a 28-year-old man who attacked a shop worker and then handed himself to police after seeing his picture in The Evening Star, it can be revealed today.
Suffolk police launched a manhunt for Adam Fairbrass after he assaulted Asda employee Fiona Ward in the Stoke Park Drive store on December 10 last year.
Fairbrass pushed his fingers into the 47-year-old’s throat during a dispute over payment in the self-service check-out area before making off.
Five weeks later, officers released a CCTV image of Fairbrass shortly after the attack which was published in the Star.
Having seen the image, Fairbrass handed himself in to police, a court heard.
Fairbrass, 28, of Keighley Road, Romford, pleaded guilty to assault at South East Suffolk Magistrates’ Court last week.
Prosecutor Colette Griffiths told magistrates that Fairbrass had attacked Ms Ward after refusing to pay.
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Ms Griffiths said: “He (Fairbrass) put his arm around Ms Ward’s shoulder.
“He then pushed his fingers hard into her throat despite the victim’s protestations.
“He told her that he wasn’t going to pay any money.
“Following the incident, a picture taken from a CCTV camera in the supermarket was printed in The Evening Star newspaper.
“He (Fairbrass) called the police and said that it was him in the picture.”
Fairbrass also pleaded guilty to two charges of making off without payment for takeaway food.
On March 27, Fairbrass ordered an Indian takeaway for �48 from the Aysha restaurant in Ipswich, but failed to pay the delivery driver.
He also failed to pay for three large pizzas which he ordered from a restaurant in Queen’s Way in Ipswich for �40 on April 1.
Fairbrass was given a community order for 12 months and also ordered to carry out 60 hours of unpaid work.
