Peterborough shoplifter made subject of a CBO

A prolific shoplifter who repeatedly tried to avoid being caught has been made subject of a Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO).

On 5 January, Donatas Veckas, 37, was captured on CCTV entering Tesco in Serpentine Green, Hampton, where he concealed salmon, meat, calculators and stationary items worth £150 in his jacket before going to leave the store without paying. He was stopped by a staff member but showed them an empty rucksack and left with the items.

Almost three weeks later, on 24 January, Veckas was stopped by the security at Lidl in Lime Kiln Close, West Town, and was found to have concealed salmon and six bottles of oil worth a total of £90.64. Despite initially giving a false name to the shop staff, he was identified by officers through the CCTV footage of the offence.

He was arrested at his home address in Dogsthorpe Road, Dogsthorpe, on 18 March and charged with three thefts from a shop after he was also identified for stealing £80 worth of laundry products from Savers in Westgate, Peterborough city centre, on 3 January.

Veckas appeared at Peterborough Magistrates’ Court on Friday (31 May) where he was sentenced to 6 weeks in prison, suspended for 12 months, and ordered to complete a 10-day Rehabilitation Activity Requirement (RAR).

He has also been made subject of a two-year CBO, which states that he must not enter:

• Any Lidl, Savers or Tesco in the city of Peterborough
• Sainsburys in Oxney Road
• Asda in Rivergate

PC Aimee Exposito, who investigated, said: “Veckas knew what he was doing when he intentionally gave false details and used an empty bag as a form of distraction to get away with the offences, and I would like to thank the businesses for reporting this to us so we could correctly identify and arrest him.

“With the CBO, we now have greater powers when it comes to tackling his offending. If he is found to have breached the conditions, we are able to arrest him and put him back before the courts.”

Anyone with information about Veckas 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.