Southend & Rochford: Prolific shoplifter jailed and banned from entering city shops

A 32-year-old Rochford man has been jailed for a total of 32 weeks and banned from certain stores in Southend and Westcliff after stealing more than £900 of food.

Altogether, James Butcher, of Southend Road, admitted committing 30 thefts from shops across the city since last August, ten while on court bail.

He was initially arrested on 16 January 2023 and charged with 20 thefts from shops and one count of assault by beating.

He was bailed by Southend magistrates on 18 January but failed to attend his next hearing and a warrant was issued for his arrest. Southend Local Policing Team officers arrested him again on 27 February.  

By this time, he had committed another ten shop thefts, Southend magistrates were told on 1 March.

PC Alex Plakhtienko, of the Business Crime Team, said after the case that Butcher had repeatedly targeted a number of shops in Southend and Westcliff, intimidating staff by his behaviour.

“He is a persistent offender and, despite being arrested and bailed by magistrates in January, the very next day Butcher stole 20 meat steaks.
“Staff members in the shops he stole from were frightened by his behaviour and some were verbally threatened. One employee was pushed aside when he tried to stop Butcher leave a store with goods he hadn’t paid for.
“I hope the fact that, as well as jailing him, magistrates saw fit to issue Butcher with a five-year criminal behaviour order which forbids him from entering eight shops in the area, will allow staff in those stores to feel safe when he is released from prison.”

Butcher, who admitted all charges, was sentenced to a total of 32 weeks' imprisonment because, he was told, the offences were so serious only a custodial sentence could be justified.

He was also issued with a five-year criminal behaviour order banning him from entering eight shops in Southend and Westcliff: the BP Petrol Station in West Street, Farm Foods stores on Greyhound Retail Park and in Eastern Avenue, Iceland and Lidl stores on Greyhound Retail Park and Waitrose in Fossett’s Way, Eastern Avenue, all in Southend, plus the Co-Op and Sainsbury’s stores in Hamlet Court Road, Westcliff.

Butcher was also ordered to pay £919.85 in compensation and a £128 victim surcharge.

The court heard Butcher had stolen wine, Prosecco, vodka, gin and brandy, chicken, cheese and biscuits from various shops between 19 August 2022 and 16 January 2023. During one incident in Waitrose on 9 January, he pushed aside an employee as he left the store with three bottles of alcohol valued at £93.50.

Between his first and second arrests, Butcher committed ten further offences, stealing meat steaks, bags of prawns and wine.

Officers from our Business Crime Team worked with colleagues from the Southend Town Centre Team and liaised with affected stores through regular Business Engagement Meetings to build the evidence required for the Crown Prosecution Service to seek the CBO.

CBOs are designed to tackle the most serious and persistent anti-social individuals where their behaviour has brought them before a criminal court.

 

Essex Police Business Crime Team

Our Business Crime Team specialises in supporting businesses, working to build relationships with independent shops and retail chains, explaining how they can report crime to us and, just as importantly, what will happen when they do. 

They help to identify risks in the workplace, providing crime prevention, fraud and cyber-crime advice and strengthening links with businesses and partners, including local community safety partnerships, Essex Chambers of Commerce and the Essex Federation of Small Businesses. 

Working with the National Business Crime Centre, the team share nationally-identified crime trends and best practice with our business community. And they have also developed a comprehensive guide to business crime prevention which identifies steps business-owners can take to protect themselves and their properties. 

• For more information, visit our Business Crime Team pages