A man in the United Kingdom is facing jail time after he admitted to stealing nearly 200,000 Cadbury Creme Eggs, in what the local police described as an “eggs-travagent” theft.
Dubbed the “Easter Bunny” by the police, the 32-year-old Joby Pool pleaded guilty in court on February 14th to criminal damage and theft, after he stole tens of thousands of Cadbury Creme Eggs and other chocolate varieties worth around £40,000 ($47,600) from an industrial unit in Stafford Park in Telford on February 11th.
According to West Mercia Police, Pool was remanded in custody ahead of his sentencing at Shrewsbury crown court on March 14th and is expected to be jailed for about two years.
How did the theft happen?
On February 14th, prosecutor Owen Beale told Kidderminster Magistrates’ Court that Pool — a self-employed ground worker — used a metal grinder to break into the industrial unit containing various chocolate products. He also used a tractor unit that had been stolen in the Yorkshire area in October 2022 to tow away the trailer.
Pool managed to reach the northbound M42 but was eventually spotted by police. Beale said Pool “gave up at junction 11 and walked towards the police with his hands up. He was arrested and the load was recovered”.
Beale pointed out that the theft was premeditated. “This clearly wasn’t spur-of-the-moment offending, if I can put it like that, because he had taken with him a tractor unit and he had to know that the load was there in the first place,” explained Beale.
Beale added: “This is clearly an organized criminal matter. You don’t just happen to learn about a trailer with that kind of value being available.”
Pool, who was from West Yorkshire, was previously convicted of theft, handling stolen goods, and driving while disqualified in 2019.
Defense solicitor John McMillan told the court that Pool understood a substantial sentence was likely, noting that Pool “stopped the vehicle when he realized he was being followed. He realized that the game was up – he realized the police were behind him and pulled in when it was safe to do so.”
McMillan also pointed out that Pool “was not offering any resistance and he was then arrested.”
What will happen to the stolen chocolates?
The stolen chocolates had not been tampered with and could still be sold in stores. “There has been no interference with the food products that were taken – they will be in a condition that they can go back on the shelves,” said McMillan of the stolen Cadbury Crème Eggs and other chocolate products, which had already been recovered.
What are Cadbury Crème Eggs?
Cadbury Crème Eggs are chocolate confections in the shape of an egg. Each egg consists of a thick chocolate shell containing a sweet white and yellow filling that resembles fondant. While these chocolate eggs are made by Cadbury in Britain, they are produced by The Hershey Company in the United States.
Long associated with Easter, Cadbury Crème Eggs are available in grocery stores as individually wrapped treats or in larger packs. Cadbury tried selling them throughout the year, but consumer demand significantly dropped after Easter.
Haven’t tried Cadbury Crème Eggs yet? They are available for purchase at Walmart.
