Prolific thief went on summer shoplifting spree

A prolific Peterborough shoplifter who targeted a shop in Bretton nine times in three weeks has been jailed.

Iltaf Hussain, 39, entered Morrisons Daily in Bretton, Peterborough, on 19 August and picked up various items totalling £370. He was confronted by two members of staff who he proceeded to be verbally abusive towards and hit one of them on the shoulder before leaving.

Hussain, of no fixed address, was arrested by officers on 31 August in Lutton Grove, Westwood, and later charged with a public order offence, assault by beating and ten counts of theft from a shop after he was found to have stolen £100 worth of air fresheners from Poundland, Bretton Centre, and had returned to Morrisons Daily another eight times between 9 and 30 August where he stole items amounting to £1,676.

He appeared at Peterborough Magistrates’ Court on Monday (2 September), where he was sentenced to eight months in prison and is to pay £225 in compensation to Morrisons Daily and £25 in compensation to Poundland after admitting all offences.

He has also been made subject of an interim Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO) banning him from the Bretton Centre.

PC Daniel Young, who investigated, said: “Assaults and abuse towards retail staff is completely unacceptable and no one should have to experience this, especially in the workplace.

“I hope the interim CBO, which is in place until further order, gives the businesses affected by Hussain some respite. It allows us to have increased powers when it comes to tackling his repeated offending as we can arrest and put him back before the courts everytime he is found to be in breach of it.”