Homeless Man Avoids Jail for 38 Greggs Thefts

A 39-year-old homeless man who repeatedly stole food from a Greggs bakery in west London, earning the nickname "Hamster" from staff, avoided immediate jail time after pleading guilty to dozens of theft charges.

Adam Gosling targeted the Greenford branch 38 times over six weeks, from December 30, 2025, to February 10. The thefts, which prosecutors valued at a total of 1,817.50 pounds, involved items worth between 12.30 pounds and 100 pounds per visit. On some days, he entered the store multiple times, prompting employees to begin systematically logging the missing stock after noticing a pattern of high-volume disappearances.

Staff at the bakery alerted local police to the issue, leading to an investigation by the Metropolitan Police's Greenford Broadway safer neighbourhood team. Officers reviewed closed-circuit television footage from the store, which helped them identify Gosling as the primary suspect. He was arrested on February 10 and later charged with 38 counts of shop theft.

Gosling appeared at Uxbridge Magistrates' Court on February 17, where he entered guilty pleas to all counts. Chairwoman Judy Gregg of the magistrates' bench imposed a four-month prison sentence,...