The 'little ginger kid with glasses' who became a 'thieving b******' and his mate with 'underlying problems' to do with drugs

Between them they've racked up nearly 300 previous offences

by · Manchester Evening News

A drug addict went on a shocking crime spree committing armed robberies, brazen shoplifting and terrorising a neighbourhood.

Cameron Bland, 28, who has amassed 111 previous offences, added to his extensive record and left his victims traumatised.

Another man, David Stewart, 42, who has racked up 169 previous offences, was involved in some of the robberies.

On one day, the pair, who have both been jailed and declared 'dangerous' offenders, committed three armed robberies at branches of Tesco, Co-op and Scotts.

Bland, from Oldham, who became addicted to crack cocaine aged 14, robbed shops, attacked a taxi driver and threatened to burn properties down during the shocking two week spree in October and November last year.

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"I have no doubt that your spree would have continued beyond that date, had you not been stopped by the police," Judge Bernadette Baxter told Bland.

His lawyer said as a child, Bland, described as a 'little ginger kid with glasses', was subjected to 'sustained' and 'brutal' bullying at school which had a 'profound' impact on him.

Cameron Bland
(Image: GMP)

Minshull Street Crown Court heard the crime spree began when Bland stole a man's bike.

The following day, after learning Bland was responsible, the bike owner's mother confronted him and called him a 'thieving bas****'.

Bland told her 'I'm going to fu***** burn you bitch', before getting a knife from a house and saying he would 'slice' her, then running away.

The next morning, Bland threw a rock through the woman's living room window.

After threatening to commit arson and stab the woman, he claimed 'he had no family' and 'nothing to lose', and said 'prison is easy for him', prosecutor Alaric Bassano said.

David Stewart
(Image: GMP)

The woman said she had her letterbox sealed off by the fire service because of the threats.

A few days later, Bland went into the home of a grandmother who was with her teenage grandson.

He started demanding money and verbally abusing her.

Bland left after about half an hour, but returned the next morning and hit the grandmother to the face.

Before leaving, he spat at her face and said: “F*** you, I’m going to set your house on fire with you in it."

In the early hours a few days later, Bland returned.

The woman was not home, as she had fled after being left in fear by Bland.

Her husband was awoken after Bland had smashed the bedroom and living room windows.

Later that day, Bland threw a rock and smashed the windows of another house, before calling the householder and threatening to 'torch' their home.

After saying they would report him to the police, Bland threatened to kill the woman.

She said her children were left 'traumatised'.

All of these incidents were committed near Bland's home in Oldham.

"All of these people are terrified in their own homes because of you, and dread your return," Judge Baxter told Bland as she described his behaviour as a 'campaign of intimidation'.

The day before, Bland had been into a Co-op store in Lees, where he made a stabbing motion to a female worker and shouted 'I'm going to stab you'.

Two days later, Bland and two others went into JD Sports at Elk Mill Retail Park in Oldham, before picking up nine jackets and five pairs of trousers worth £1,400 and running off with them.

Then on two occasions, within hours of each other, Bland went into a Tesco store in Oldham and walked out with a vacuum cleaners during each incident.

In the first incident, Bland replied 'what?' after being challenged.

After being confronted on the second occasion, he told a security guard 'you know what this is?'

Later the same day, Bland stole £370 worth of aftershave from Asda in Oldham.

On the same day, he picked up a 32 inch TV at Asda in Ashton, ignoring a security guard and walking out of the store.

A security guard grabbed the TV and a struggle broke out, but he backed off after believing Bland had a knife. Bland denies he had a blade.

At about 4am on October 27, he got into a taxi and began to punch the driver to the head.

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Bland demanded cash and the driver stopped the car.

There was a scuffle and Bland dropped a knife.

The driver used his horn to try and attract attention, and Bland later ran off after members of the public intervened.

On October 29, Bland struck at McDonald's off Huddersfield Road in Oldham, grabbing the till and saying 'give me the f***** money'.

Bland brandished a knife and got away with some cash.

At Tesco in the early hours of October 31, Bland picked up a TV and pulled out a steak knife after being confronted.

"You don’t want to mess with me, I’ll stab you," Bland told the guard, who allowed him to leave and said he was 'scared for my life'.

Later that day, Bland and Stewart went to a Co-op store in Grotton, Oldham.

The pair, Stewart armed with a blade, attacked a till and left with £350 and £35 worth of cigarettes.

In the afternoon that same day, the pair struck at Scotts on Elk Mill Retail park in Oldham.

Bland, holding a knife, helped himself to some clothes.

He told the store manager, who feared he'd be stabbed: "I wouldn’t f****** try anything if I were you."

After a female store supervisor challenged Bland, he showed her his knife and said 'I’ve got something for you love'.

Stewart, stood at the entrance to the shop, told her: "Don’t risk your life, it isn’t worth it."

The pair were arrested shortly after the incident at Scotts.

Defending Bland, Benjamin Knight said the defendant started using crack cocaine aged 14 after being offered it at a party.

He said Bland, who described himself as being a 'little ginger kid with glasses' as a child, was subjected to 'sustained and brutal bullying' at school which had a 'profound' effect on him.

Mr Knight said Bland may have started taking drugs to 'fit in'.

Bland has been drug free in prison, and Mr Knight said he has ambitions to work after being released.

Keith Jones, for Stewart, said the defendant had 'difficulties' in his upbringing and that his 'underlying problem' is drugs.

He said Stewart 'welcomes' the sentence to 'give him the opportunity to sort himself out once and for all'.

The pair were both declared 'dangerous' by the judge, after ruling there is a 'significant risk' of them causing 'serious harm' by committing further offences.

Bland received an eight year sentence, comprising of six years in prison and a two year extended licence period.

Stewart was handed a six-and-a-half year sentence, featuring a four-and-a-half year custodial term and a two year extended licence period.

Both will have to serve two-thirds of the custodial term in prison, and the Parole Board will decide if it is safe to release them.

Bland, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to two public order offences; three counts of criminal damage; one of common assault; six counts of theft, one of attempted robbery, three counts of possessing a blade and four counts of robbery.

Stewart, of The Green, Fitton Hill, Oldham, admitted two counts of robbery and one of possessing a blade.