Man charged with criminal damage after ripping off plastic sheets on Tesco items
A man who was caught on camera ripping off plastic sheets covering non-essential items at a Tesco supermarket has been charged with criminal damage.
Footage posted on social media showed the maskless man rampaging through the store in Bangor, Wales, after the Government ordered supermarkets to cordon off or empty certain areas to the public.
As part of Wales’ ‘firebreak’ lockdown, stores were banned from selling so-called non-essential items, including stationary, clothes, electrical goods, garden products, homeware and toys.
Gwilym Owen, 28, said the regulations were ‘immoral and inhuman’ as he took a ‘stand’ by ripping off the sheets covering such items in the Tesco store.
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North Wales Police confirmed Owen, from Anglesey, has been charged with criminal damage and contravention of coronavirus regulations.
He has also been further charged with several public order offences. He is due before magistrates on Caernarfon on November 24.
Writing in a Facebook post after the video was posted, Owen said: ‘I had enough last night. I don’t care about the backlash that I may get from this.
‘I heard supermarkets have put covers over “non-essential” things such as clothes. We’re heading into winter now and who would have thought clothes for children weren’t essential?
‘I’m sure there are people out there who can barely afford heating in their houses and now they want to stop people buying clothes in supermarkets.’
First Minister Mark Drakeford has now said the decision to ban non-essential items will be reassessed after the weekend, following widespread backlash over the ‘unnecessary’ measure.
He said: ‘We’ll be reviewing how the weekend has gone with the supermarkets and making sure that common sense is applied.
‘Supermarkets can sell anything that can be sold in any other type of shop that isn’t required to close. In the meantime, please only leave home if you need to.’
On Friday at 6pm, Wales was plunged into a 17-day lockdown in a bid to control spiralling infection rates and protect the NHS from becoming overwhelmed.
People are only allowed to leave their homes to buy food and medicine, to provide care or to exercise, and they must work from home where possible.
Police in England will attempt to block non-essential journeys if motorists attempt to drive out of Wales without a valid excuse.
All non-essential retail, leisure, hospitality and tourism businesses were forced to close, along with community centres, libraries and recycling centres. Places of worship must close unless they are hosting a funeral or small wedding ceremony.
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