Man pleads guilty to theft of 200,000 Cadbury Creme Eggs
pic: Shutterstock
A man in the UK has pleaded guilty to criminal damage and two counts of theft, including stealing nearly 200,000 Cadbury Creme Eggs from a unit in Stafford Park, Telford, according to West Mercia Police, reports Neill Barston.
Joby Pool, 32, of no fixed abode, faced Kidderminster Magistrates’ Court earlier yesterday in relation to the incident, which happened last weekend, on 11 February, with the defendant entered a guilty plea to all charges.
The theft, of chocolate thought to be worth £31,000, comes just before the key Easter retail season, with the police force stating on social media that the chocolate in question was recovered after officers stopped a vehicle on the north bound carriageway of the M42.
Pool has been remanded in custody, and is set to appear before Shrewsbury Magistrates’ Court on 14 March 2023 for sentencing.
As a brand, Cadbury has faced other key consumer issues in recent times, with the business warning shoppers last Easter of scam WhatsApp offering free Easter Eggs, as well as ongoing issues of fake Facebook accounts enticing shoppers to like and post comments on some of the brand’s key product ranges.
Furthermore, the business has also seen shoppers express concern over its 2023 range of Easter Eggs, in what has been claimed as another notable case of shrinkflation – with the size of its eggs reportedly being reduced this Easter, while prices have remained the same. For this year, its Cadbury Flake Eggs are 231.5g, costing £5, compared to 249g in 2022. Similarly, the Twirl Egg was 237g last year, and is now down to 198g for Easter 2023.
The situation has occurred against a backdrop of near record inflation, running at a 40-year high, with food prices up 16.8% last year, with confectionery ingredients also being notably negatively impacted, leading to many families being forced to cut back on general household shopping budgets.
