On Tuesday, 32-year-old Joby Pool appeared in court after being caught stealing 200,000 Cadbury Creme Eggs from a warehouse in the UK's West Midlands.
Pool pleaded guilty to charges of theft and criminal damage, and is set to be sentenced on March 14 at Shrewsbury Crown Court.
According to the BBC, Prosecutor Owen Beale argued in Kidderminster Magistrates' Court that Pool's £31,000 chocolate heist had been carried out following "significant planning," adding that it was far from a "spur of the moment" decision.
Pool, originally from West Yorkshire, allegedly used a metal grinder to force his way into a warehouse in Telford, a town near Birmingham, on Saturday, February 11. He then drove off in a stolen box truck filled with 8,000kg of chocolatey treasures.
Two days passed before law enforcement finally caught up with Pool as he and his truck full of Easter treats traveled north on the M42 motorway.
Pool, Beale explained, "gave up at junction 11 and walked towards the police with his hands up." He was arrested and the truck's contents were recovered.
According to the West Mercia Police, Creme Eggs were not the only treats recovered following the "eggs-travagent theft." They noted that "a number of other chocolate varieties" were also discovered in the truck driven by the man "purporting to be the Easter bunny."
Pool's lawyer, John McMillan, noted that "there has been no interference with the food products that were taken," and, to the relief of chocolate-loving Britons, "they will be in a condition that they can go back on the shelves."
As the BBC reports, this is not the first time Pool has carried out such a crime, though the scale is unprecedented. In 2019, he was arrested and convicted for theft, handling stolen goods, and driving without a license.
McMillan said Pool knew exactly what he'd done, and was prepared to be handed a lengthy sentence.
