AN ALLEGED thief has been remanded in custody as he awaits trial for a series of crimes.

James Lennon, of no fixed address, appeared for a brief hearing at Oxford Magistrates Court yesterday.

The 45-year-old has been charged with three counts of theft.

Two of these relate to incidents at the Oxford Brookes Sports Centre in which bags full of expensive clothing and gadgets were taken on November 22 and 27 last year.

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The third relates to an incident on December 17 in which £150 worth of meat was stolen from Waitrose in Headington.

As each of the charges were read out to him, Lennon plead not guilty.

His lawyer appealed for him to be released on bail but magistrates turned down this request.

He will next appear for a case management hearing in the same court on January 18.

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