Eighteen people charged with 43 shop theft offences

Another 18 people were charged with a total of 43 shoplifting offences across Essex last week.

Our officers arrested 32 people on suspicion of shoplifting between 22 and 28 January 2024, as we continue to target thieves who steal from shops.

And 18 of those arrested were subsequently charged with shop theft and other offences. One man was also found to have breached a previous criminal behaviour order (CBO).

On Monday 29 January, James Coleman, 35, from the Castle Point district, was jailed for a total of 24 weeks and ordered to pay £416.23 compensation after admitting six thefts from shops in Southend – stealing clothes, alcohol and chocolate from Poundland, Primark, Tesco and Waitrose – as well as three breaches of the CBO and one count of criminal damage.

Seven people were arrested in the Chelmsford district, six in Southend; and five in each of the Basildon, Colchester and Harlow districts. Single arrests were also made in each of the Braintree, Brentwood, Tendring and Uttlesford districts.

Sergeant Christian Denning, of our specialist Business Crime Team, says shoplifting can have a serious effect on retail staff as well as customers who witness violent or abusive behaviour.

“We work with local colleagues to identify the most persistent offenders and apply to the courts for criminal behaviour orders which can ban them from certain shops and require them to attend alcohol or drug rehabilitation courses.
“Clearly, some people don’t respect the terms of these orders. We take this very seriously and we’ll always seek to put them back before the courts at the earliest opportunity.
“People arrested for acquisitive crimes, such as shop theft, are also automatically tested in custody for Class A drugs and required to attend a specialist assessment to see whether they are suitable to attend a treatment course to help them beat their addiction.
“We want to help people turn their lives away from addiction and criminal activity but we won’t hesitate to arrest those who don’t take the support they are offered and continue to offend.”

Of those arrested last week, four tested positive for cocaine, crack cocaine or heroin. Cases involving ten people are still being investigated. One person was cautioned. another issued with a community resolution and no further action was taken against two more.

• Visit our Business Crime Team pages for more information about the team's work

 

If a person admits an offence and agrees to abide by certain conditions, they can accept a conditional caution in return for not being prosecuted for that offence.

A conditional caution is only offered for offences where a court would be unlikely to impose a significant community sentence or a period of imprisonment if the person were to be prosecuted.

 

Community resolutions enable the police to deal with certain offences and offenders outside the formal criminal justice process. The victim and the investigating officer decide on the appropriate resolution, which ranges from apologising to the victim or offering to pay compensation to clearing up graffiti or repairing criminal damage.

The offender must admit their guilt but a CR is not classed as a conviction and doesn’t result in a criminal record. However, the fact someone has been subject to a CR can be taken into consideration if further offences are committed.

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