Repeat thief jailed for nine months

A prolific thief who was caught stealing from a store he was banned from has been jailed for almost nine months.

Edward Murray, 38, who has a Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO) in place banning him from every Tesco in Cambridgeshire, entered the Whittlesey Road store in Stanground, Peterborough, on 1 August and stole multiple boxes of chocolates.

 

 

He did the same thing two days later and attempted to enter on 9 August but was stopped by a security guard who he was verbally abusive to and threatened to “knock out”.

On 31 July he was also caught stealing toys from The Entertainer, in Bridge Street, Peterborough city centre. A store manager confronted him and recovered some of the items, however Murray damaged two toys before handing them over.

Murray was made subject of a five-year CBO at the end of last year after multiple convictions for shoplifting.

The order states he must not enter:

• Tesco Express, Whittlesey Road, Stanground, or its grounds
• Applegreen Horsey Way Service Station, Whittlesey Road, Stanground, or its grounds
• Morrisons, Bellona Drive, Cardea, or its grounds
• Nisa Local, Southfields Drive, Stanground, or its grounds
• Brotherhood Shopping Park
• Any Tesco store within Cambridgeshire

Murray, of Fen View, Stanground, appeared at Huntingdon Magistrates’ Court yesterday (Thursday) where he was jailed for 36 weeks after admitting three counts of theft from a shop, two counts of breaching a Criminal Behaviour Order and using threatening words or behaviour with intent to cause fear of violence.

He must also pay £50 in compensation to the victim of the threatening behaviour.

PC Holly Whyte, who investigated, said: “Murray is a brazen thief who has no respect for the law. He has multiple convictions for theft and those who confront him are met with abuse, which is not acceptable.

“For as long as Murray continues with his criminal ways, we will keep putting him before the courts.”

Anyone with information about Murray breaching the CBO should contact us online via our webchat service or reporting form. Those without internet access should call 101.