The incident occurred in the early hours of 5 November, when 37-year-old Ashley Lawrence forced his way into Gray and Bull Opticians on Pelham Street. CCTV footage showed him using his body weight to smash through the glass doors before making off with about 50 pairs of high-value sunglasses and glasses frames worth roughly £8,000.
Three days later, a member of staff from the same shop spotted Lawrence loitering nearby and recognised him from the security footage. The police were immediately called, but Lawrence tried to escape when officers arrived on the scene.
After a short chase through the city centre, Lawrence attempted to evade capture by climbing into a large commercial bin next to a nearby church. However, his hiding place did not go unnoticed. Members of the public saw him climbing into the bin and quickly alerted the police.
Body camera footage recorded the moment officers lifted the lid and discovered Lawrence concealed among the rubbish. One officer handcuffed him while he was still standing inside the bin before taking him into custody.
Lawrence, who had no fixed address and was already wanted on recall to prison, pleaded guilty to the burglary charge when he appeared before Nottingham Magistrates’ Court on Monday. He has since been sentenced to 12 months in prison.
PC Ben King, the arresting officer, praised the quick action of local residents who helped lead police to the suspect.
“This was an appalling crime, and I’d like to thank the staff member and the public for helping us to apprehend Lawrence,” he said. “Regrettably, he is well known to us as a persistent offender who has repeatedly failed to comply with court orders since 2022. Needless to say, we are pleased he is back behind bars, and I am sure local businesses share that sentiment.”
