- See more Daily Mail on Google - save us as a Preferred Source
A sex offender once regarded as Britain's most prolific shoplifter has died in prison, bringing to an end a criminal career that spanned for more than half a century.
asserted
that → see → century
Harry Hankinson, who amassed more than 500 convictions over five decades, died aged 78 in West Yorkshire's HMP Wakefield while serving a 14-year sentence for attempted rape and sexual assaults.
asserted
who → amass → rape
Hankinson, of Miles Platting, Manchester, spent much of his adult life in and out of custody, building a criminal record that stretched back to 1970 and ultimately included 523 convictions, 433 of them for theft.
asserted
that → spend → theft
In November 2021, Bolton Crown Court sentenced Hankinson to 14 years' imprisonment after a jury convicted him of attempted rape and four counts of sexual assault against vulnerable women.
asserted
jury → sentence → women
The court heard that in February 2017, while a patient in hospital, he was stopped by a nursing assistant as he forced a 61-year-old woman to perform a sex act on him.
asserted
he → hear → him
The member of staff led the woman from the room and raised the alarm.
asserted
member → lead → alarm
Prosecutors also outlined a series of offences against another woman, whom Hankinson first assaulted in May 2017 after inviting her to his flat for a microwave meal.
uncertain
Hankinson → outline → meal
The sex pest then pressed himself against her back before touching her inappropriately.
asserted
pest → press → her
Three years later, when the victim was 70, he again sexually assaulted her at her home, exposing himself and forcing her to touch him without consent.
asserted
he → assault → consent
She fought him off, stabbing him in the hand with a fork before a neighbour's knock at the door prompted him to leave.
asserted
knock → fight → him
Harry Hankinson, who amassed more than 500 convictions over five decades, died aged 78 in West Yorkshire's HMP Wakefield while serving a 14-year sentence for attempted rape and sexual assaults
Hankinson was arrested a few days later on suspicion of sexual assault.
asserted
Hankinson → amass → assault
Further allegations emerged during the police investigation, including from a carer who said Hankinson had behaved in a sexually aggressive manner towards her - pulling her on top of him as she went to wake him up in his care home.
asserted
she → emerge → home
Sentencing him in 2021, the court concluded that he posed a significant danger to women.
asserted
he → sentence → women
Detective Constable Emma Cooper of Greater Manchester Police described him as 'a sexual predator who preys on vulnerable victims'.
asserted
who → describe → victims
She added: 'His actions are despicable and unwarranted, causing a number of women to feel violated and unsafe.
asserted
number → add → women
'Hopefully this sentencing today sends a clear message that sexual assault is absolutely not acceptable and anyone who engages in this criminal behaviour will be brought to justice to face the consequences for their actions.
asserted
who → send → actions
For years Hankinson was regarded as one of the country's most persistent shoplifters, repeatedly targeting shops despite prison terms, curfews, anti-social behaviour orders and bans designed to keep him away from the high street.
asserted
Hankinson → regard → street
Hankinson regularly blamed his behaviour on an irresistible compulsion to steal and claimed to suffer from kleptomania - a mental health condition defined by an uncontrollable urge to steal items you do not need - although psychiatric assessments found no evidence of the condition.
asserted
assessments → blame → condition
The pensioner walked free from Tameside Magistrates' Court in 2019 after claiming his decades-long shoplifting spree stemmed from a serious head injury he suffered while watching England at the 1970 World Cup.
asserted
he → walk → Cup
Hankinson arrived at Tameside Magistrates Court in 2019
He claimed he banged his head in the incident which caused a 'change in his personality' and turned him into a kleptomaniac with an 'uncontrollable' urge to steal.
asserted
which → arrive → urge
Judges variously described him as an 'indiscriminate thief' and a menace to shopowners, having even taken his unsuspecting wife Linda Hankinson on a shoplifting jaunt during a sightseeing coach trip.
asserted
Judges → describe → trip
Speaking after one of his many jail terms in the 1990s, Linda previously said she hardly knew him because he had spent so much of their marriage in prison.
asserted
he → speak → prison
In 1996, his offending became so prolific Linda condemned an 18-week sentence he received for stealing cigarettes, spirits and groceries as insubstantial.
asserted
he → become → cigarettes
She said: 'He should have got at least 18 months.
asserted
He → say → months
The only way he will stop is by being in prison.
asserted
he → stop → prison
If he's in there long enough he might stop and think and get some proper help while he's locked up.
uncertain
he → stop → help
'When he's out after short stretches it's just too easy for him to go and do it again.
asserted
him → go → it
I can't tell you much about him because I don't really know him, he's been in and out of Strangeways so much.
asserted
he → tell → Strangeways
The person who's suffering out of all this is me.
asserted
who → suffer → this
In 2008, Linda was unwittingly caught up in another thieving expedition when she and her husband went to Ripon, North Yorkshire, for a day out by a coach - to celebrate his release from another prison stretch.
asserted
she → catch → stretch
In 2014, Hankinson was jailed for 16 months and given a two year Anti-Social Behaviour Order banning him from shops in Bolton town centre.
asserted
Hankinson → jail → centre
But in 2015, and after being freed early from jail, he was caught wandering through the self check-outs at Morrisons in the town, cradling a bottle of Glenfiddich whisky.
asserted
he → free → whisky
He had hidden several bottles of whisky and vodka, worth £79.07 under his coat and was arrested after he was spotted by security staff.
asserted
he → hide → staff
In April 2015, Hankinson was given a three month curfew ordering him to stay at home from noon until 8pm when shops are open for the afternoon and early evening.
asserted
shops → give → afternoon
But he was caught stealing again in June that year at Iceland's Farnworth branch.
asserted
he → catch → branch
At an earlier hearing, Judge Peter Davies said: 'He is an indiscriminate thief and he shouldn't be let near the shops.
asserted
he → say → shops
It has affected the community of traders and everybody agrees he shouldn't go around thieving.
asserted
he → affect → traders
He is a risk to retailers - I have never seen anything like it.
asserted
I → see → it
'This is a truly exceptional case, he has had every spindle opportunity not to commit these offences.
asserted
he → have → offences
Now he is stealing high value items.'
asserted
he → steal → items
…and 12 more, not listed.
