Jail for prolific thief

A prolific thief who breached a Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO) twice to steal from shops in Orton has been jailed.

Mark Smith, 41, was arrested in The Village in Orton Longueville, Peterborough, on 30 May as he was wanted for numerous thefts from shops around Orton between 16 May and 28 May and being in breach of his CBO twice.

Smith, of no fixed address, appeared at Huntingdon Magistrates’ Court on Saturday (1 June), where he was sentenced to 20 weeks in prison after admitting eight offences:

• Theft of 24 cans of Pepsi Max worth £21 from Iceland, Ortongate shopping centre, Orton Goldhay, on 16 May
• Breach of a CBO by entering Iceland, Ortongate shopping centre, Orton Goldhay, on 16 May
• Theft of chocolate worth £112 from Tesco in Orton Wistow on 22 May
• Theft of five packs of laundry tablets worth an unknown value from Spar, Orton Malborne, on 25 May
• Theft of confectionary items worth an unknown value from Spar, Orton Malborne, on 26 May
• Theft of washing pods worth £79.49 from B&M, Ortongate shopping centre, Orton Goldhay, on 27 May
• Breach of a CBO by entering B&M, Ortongate shopping centre, Orton Goldhay, on 27 May
• Theft of six tins of coffee worth £41.94 from Tesco in Orton Wistow on 28 May

Smith was made subject of a two-year CBO in February, which bans him from entering Ortongate shopping centre, as bordered by Misterton, Busway footpath to rear of Ortongate shopping centre.

PC Niamh Skipworth, who investigated, said: “Retail crime has a significant impact on businesses and their staff, and I would like to encourage them to continue reporting any incidents to us, regardless of value, to help us in building our investigations and identifying those involved.”

Anyone with information about Smith breaching his CBO should contact police via the web chat service or online forms at www.cambs.police.uk/report.

Those without internet access should call 101.