Colchester: Man excluded from HMV, TK Maxx and Cash Converters stores nationwide

A man who stole headphones from a Colchester store an hour after he’d been charged and bailed for two similar offences has been banned from all HMV, TK Maxx and Cash Converters stores throughout the UK.

The exclusion requirement for Connor Petts, of Mill Road, Colchester, will last a year. He was also given an 84-day jail term suspended for 12 months when he appeared before Colchester magistrates on 19 February and admitted three counts of theft.

Petts, 27, also admitted possession of cannabis and one count of fraud by dishonestly failing to disclose information to make a gain for himself by signing at Cash Converters in the city to say stolen items belonged to himself.

The court heard Petts was arrested on 23 November 2023 on suspicion of stealing headphone sets from HMV in the Culver Centre, Colchester on two occasions in October 2023.

He was charged and bailed but, an hour after his release from police custody, Petts was arrested again, on suspicion of dealing drugs, by an officer from Colchester Town Centre Team.

However, the arresting officer was made aware that Petts was suspected of stealing two headphone sets from TK Maxx in the Culver Centre. CCTV evidence showed him visiting Cash Converters, who later confirmed they had no reason to suspect the headsets had been stolen and had given him £15 for them.

Together, the total value of the headphones stolen from HMV and TK Maxx was £212.93.

Investigating officer PC Jordan Frisby says:

“Connor Petts blatantly walked out of the police station and straight into town to steal and then obtain drugs.
“Fortunately, a colleague on the Town Centre Team saw him in St John’s Street and arrested him as he believed a drug deal was taking place. While doing so, he was alerted by a colleague on his Airwave radio to the fact that Petts was also suspected of shoplifting. The investigation proved this to be the case.
“We take all reports of shoplifting seriously and we will investigate but we do need the help of business owners, retail staff and the public to provide that evidence.
“So please, if you have evidence such as CCTV or dashcam footage or have information about any crime, please tell us. You can report online or, alternatively ring us on 101.
“If it’s a crime in progress, ring 999.”

Petts was also ordered by the court to pay £145 costs and a total of £147.96 compensation. An order was also made for the forfeiture and destruction of the cannabis.

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