Shop thief stole coffee machine and four handbags
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A shop thief who stole a coffee machine and four handbags has been sentenced.
On 4 March, Shaun Burrows was captured on CCTV stealing the £399.99 Nespresso machine from John Lewis in Cambridge.
He took it from the shelf, walked out of the shop and put it on his handlebars before riding off without paying.
A few months later on 25 October he was witnessed by a member of staff and CCTV at TK Maxx in Market Street to steal four ladies bags worth almost £200.
The 47-year-old activated the alarm and was stopped from cycling off by a member of staff. Police officers on patrol nearby then arrested him.
At Cambridge Magistrates’ Court on Thursday (28 November), Burrows, of Victoria Road, was sentenced to eight months in prison, suspended for 12 months, after pleading guilty to two counts of shoplifting. He must also carry out 150 hours unpaid work and pay John Lewis £379.99 in compensation.
PC Charis Sparkes, who investigated, said: “People often think that shoplifting is a victimless crime but it causes misery to shop owners and their employees. Frequent shoplifting often results in an increase in pricing which in turn affects us all.”