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Swale shoplifters are increasingly finding themselves in custody thanks to the combined efforts of neighbourhood officers and dedicated investigators.
On Sunday 3 November 2024, Stacey Willet entered the Co-op in Church Road, Murston, placed meat and cheese products worth £50 in her bag and left without paying. She went to Milton Regis six days later and stole laundry items valued at £31 from Morrisons.
Willet, of London Road, Sittingbourne, was spotted in a car by a local officer on Wednesday 13 November and was arrested. She was charged and pleaded guilty on the following day at Medway Magistrates’ Court to the two thefts.
The 23-year-old was immediately jailed for 12 weeks and ordered to pay compensation to the stores.
In a further investigation, officers made an arrest following a spate of thefts in Sittingbourne. On Tuesday 5 November, Shelley Earnshaw went to Tesco in Quartz Way, stole a quantity of confectionary and assaulted a shop worker who tried to prevent her leaving the store.
On the same day she stole five Ted Baker bags valued at £250 from Boots the Chemist in the High Street.
Earnshaw was responsible for another theft on Monday 11 November when she left Morrisons in Milton Regis High Street without paying for confectionary worth £125. She was arrested by a neighbourhood officer three days later and charged with three thefts, an assault and two breaches of her criminal behaviour order.
Earnshaw, 31, of College Road, Sittingbourne pleaded guilty at her first court hearing before Medway Magistrates’ Court on Friday 15 November and was jailed for 100 days.
A Sheerness beat officer arrested a further prolific shoplifter on Thursday 14 November. Darren McGimpsey was responsible for four thefts at shops in Sheerness and Queenborough and was charged.
He pleaded guilty at Medway Magistrates’ Court on Friday 15 November and was ordered to complete 80 hours' supervised, unpaid work and undertake rehabilitation activity. He was also required to compensate his victims in full.
Chief Inspector Vanessa Foster said:
‘Our neighbourhood officers are aware of those who persistently commit retail crime on their beat. Working with local shopkeepers and security staff they are able to respond swiftly when offences happen and detain offenders. They can also identify suspects from CCTV if thefts are reported following an incident and will then track down the criminals and take them into custody.
‘Once arrested, our investigation teams ensure prolific offenders are charged and immediately brought before magistrates to answer for their crimes. They will also seek the imposition of criminal orders to restrict the activities of these thieves when they are released from prison.’