A man appeared in court after going on a shoplifting spree on Christmas Eve.

Kian Hunwick, 22, was charged with four counts of theft and one count of possessing a knife/ blade/ sharp pointed article in a public place on December 24 last year. 

While he admitted the thefts, he denied the latter charge and went on trial at Weymouth Magistrates Court.

The prosecution said Hunwick, and his girlfriend at the time Kyra Anderson, went to Weymouth town centre with the intention to shoplift. 

The court heard how the couple were stopped by police at 3pm after officers received a report from a BID ranger that Hunwick had stolen items. 

Hunwick, currently of no fixed abode, admitted to police that he had stolen a teddy bear from WH Smith.

A search was carried out and officers found a Christmas hat from WH Smith, a bottle of aftershave from Superdrug and a lighter from Poundland in his bag.

Officers also discovered a kitchen knife in the bag but Hunwick denied placing it there and said he didn't know he'd been carrying it. 

Body worn footage from the the arresting officer was shown in court.

Hunwick could be heard asking Anderson, "why is there a knife in my bag?" to which she responded that it wasn't her who put it there.

A few seconds later, he asked Anderson again "are you actually taking the p*** out of me, was it you?" She tells him she put it there because she was "scared", telling officers that people were "after her."

Arising from the same incident, Anderson was found to have stolen a balaclava from Mountain Warehouse. She was charged with theft and issued with a fine when she appeared in court in July.

Elizabeth Valera, prosecuting, put it to the defendant that the knife was his.

Hunwick replied: "No I never carry knives I’m not that person."

The defendant was previously convicted for possessing a sharp pointed article in a public place in 2022 and carrying an offensive weapon in 2021.

Ms Valera also put it to Hunwick that he was "intimidating" Anderson into saying it was her who put the knife in his bag. 

He replied: "Let's be real, if I knew a knife was in there, I would have gotten away from the police so quickly."

Lee Christmas, defending, said Hunwick was "relaxed" throughout the police search before the knife was discovered.

Louise Dutton, chair of the magistrates' bench said the defendant fully cooperated with police and as they cannot be sure beyond reasonable doubt he knew the knife was in his bag he was found not guilty. 

He will return to court on January 16, 2025 to be sentenced for the four charges of theft.