Southampton man charged with theft and assault of shop staff

A 43-year-old man has been charged in connection with the assault of shop staff and police officers, the verbal abuse of a nurse and theft offences in Southampton.

Anthony Perryman, of Southampton Street, has been charged with two counts of assault, theft, attempted theft, using threatening/abusive/insulting words or behaviour to cause harassment/alarm/distress and obstructing/resisting a constable in execution of duty in connection with the following incidents:

• On Thursday 22 February a nurse in her 20s at Southampton General Hospital was verbally abused.
• On Tuesday 27 February items worth £55 were taken from the Tesco store on Southampton High Street and three staff members were assaulted in the process.
• On Tuesday 27 February a woman in her 50s working at a stall at Kingsland Market, St. Mary’s Street was verbally abused and an attempt was made to steal a till. The woman was pushed over in the process but was not injured. The incident was communicated to police officers via the ShopWatch radio and Perryman was stopped and arrested in the Marlands Shopping Centre on Above Bar Street. Two officers were assaulted in the process, one of which has had to be taken away from frontline duties as a result.  

Perryman has been remanded into custody and is due to appear at Southampton Magistrates’ Court today (Thursday 29 February).