Morrisons agrees to meet with manager sacked for tackling serial shoplifter

Oliver Partridge
Mon, 27 Apr 2026 19:28:43 +0000

Morrisons' chief executive has agreed to meet with a store manager who was dismissed after tackling a serial shoplifter.

Sean Egan, from Wolverhampton, was sacked from his role at the Aldridge branch in Walsall after 29 years of service to the company.

Mr Egan was terminated for breaching the company's deter-and-not-detain policy, after the incident in December when serial thief Daniel Kendall was spotted attempting to steal bottles of alcohol.

A Morrisons spokesman had earlier insisted that procedures for dealing with theft incidents "must be strictly followed".

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In the wake of the incident, Morrisons' Rami Baitieh acknowledged that while there has been widespread public reaction to Mr Egan's dismissal, media coverage "does not reflect the full facts of the situation".

The supermarket boss explained the company had avoided making detailed public statements "because we do not believe that this would be helpful for Sean".

Mr Baitieh added the coverage failed to "fully consider the unintended consequences that can occur when colleagues physically confront criminals".

He stressed while Morrisons' instinct was to back staff facing abuse or threats, this must be weighed against safety protocols.

Mr Baitieh today confirmed he would meet with Mr Egan this week following repeated calls for a face-to-face meeting from the sacked manager.

The former manager has said he hopes the face-to-face meeting scheduled for Thursday will help him comprehend the circumstances of his dismissal, and allow him to voice his concerns.

"I've reached out many times to try and get my views and the things that they haven't followed in process wise, and I've tried to get that across and it's been ignored on every occasion," he said.

When questioned about whether he might return to work for the supermarket, Mr Egan indicated this would be discussed during the talks.

The backing from Aldridge residents has been "absolutely immense", he said. "It's nothing I could have ever dreamt of."

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Speaking on his initial dismissal, Mr Egan said: "I wish it never happened to me, but I don't regret defending myself and I stand by what I believe in."

Two days after the incident, he faced an internal investigation, telling GB News: "They did the investigation, told me that it would be going to disciplinary, and then he told me that the police are going to investigate me, and there's a potential I could lose my job.

"So I'm worried that I'm going to get a criminal record, and I'm worried that I'm going to lose my job.

"And I never had any investigation from the police, but unfortunately, I did lose my job."

The case has provoked significant public anger, with approximately 200 residents gathering outside the Aldridge store on Saturday to demonstrate their support.

Katie Bowen, one of the protesters, expressed frustration at how the supermarket handles theft.

"They can more or less walk in and walk out with goods. I think people have had enough of it," she told the BBC.

An online fundraising campaign established for Mr Egan has already surpassed £18,000 in donations.

Mr Egan's MP, Wendy Morton, has also written to the chief executive, describing her constituent as a "hero" in the eyes of local residents.