Jail for prolific shoplifter who hid in bush

A prolific shoplifter who hid in a bush while being pursued by shop staff has been jailed.

Brendan Keating, 25, entered The Range, in Boongate, Peterborough, on 23 July and stole a speaker worth £59.

He was confronted by a member of staff, who he pushed into a door before running out of the shop and hiding in a bush in the car park as another staff member chased after him.

He was arrested two days later after CCTV operators, who knew he was wanted for other thefts, told police he had been seen going into B&M, in Bridge Street, Peterborough.

Keating, of no fixed address, was charged with common assault and four counts of theft from a shop and appeared at Huntingdon Magistrates’ Court on Saturday (27 July), where he was sentenced to six months in prison and ordered to pay £180 in compensation to Morrisons, £130 in compensation to TK Maxx and £59 in compensation to The Range.

PC Mia Cook, who investigated, said: “Prolific shoplifters can have a significant impact on the businesses they target in a variety of ways, such as financially and the effect on the staff.

“I would like to thank all the businesses involved for reporting these incidents, as it allowed us to quickly identify and arrest him. I urge all businesses affected by retail crime to report it to us, no matter the value, as it helps us in building investigations and identifying offenders.”