A COUPLE who have 243 offences between them have been jailed for targeting Southampton businesses during the lockdown.

Alexander Dibden has 59 convictions and his partner Natalie Snow has 26.

They appeared before Southampton Crown Court via video link facing joint burglary charges.

And Dibden, 37, a charge of threatening behaviour.

They pleaded guilty to all offences on June 11.

The court heard how on January 23 this year Dibden of Wallace Road ransacked a Southampton hair salon.

Prosecuting Kerry Maylin told how a member of the public saw a man inside passing items to a female outside and realised a burglary was taking place.

Blood found on bits of broken glass later linked Didben to the crime.

The same morning Dibden went to a Lidl supermarket and was seen by a security guard in the meat section placing two items in his shopping basket.

At one point he was seen to bend down - the guard thought he was “picking off the labels”.

When asked to leave the store “he made a number of threats” and said he knew where the guard lived and threatened he would kill him.

He was arrested later that day but released under investigation.

Then on April 5 at a One Stop store in Peartree Avenue workers became “suspicious”.

When buying Rizla papers he reached into the till and stole approximately £150.

Just days later another One Stop branch was targeted - this time in North East Road.

Dibden is said to have entered to buy a lollipop but snatched for the till.

When he made a break for it a member of staff locked the door.

A Daily Echo report from the time told how he lashed out hurling abuse at employees yelling “let me out, let me out”.

He made threats he would hurt them if they would not let him go.

Meanwhile, Snow, 34, and of Commercial Road was outside and tried to prize open the door.

They fled the scene in a “green-coloured motor vehicle”.

Then on May 17 the pair targeted the Oxford Brasserie on Oxford Street.

CCTV footage showed Dibden entering the premises on at least four occasions passing out alcohol.

Snow was outside placing [the stolen items] in a “bulging” carrier bag.

They were arrested on June 3 and gave a no comment interview.

A victim statement from the Lidl security guard read out in court said he was “shocked” at how Dibden had reacted.

He described it as a scary moment which was mentally draining and how he took the threats seriously.

Daily Echo: One Stop, North East Road in SouthamptonOne Stop, North East Road in Southampton

Defending the couple, Keely Harvey said how custody has been particularly tough for them, “away from each other”.

And, they have both had a very hard battle with drugs.

Furthermore, Dibden had struggled after being stabbed quite seriously in the stomach eight or nine months ago.

However, Judge Parker jailed Dibden for 32 months and Snow for 20 months.

No order was made to pay court costs or compensation.