Peterborough thief who 'couldn't resist' taking phone from worker at Willow Cafe in Central Park is jailed

A thief who was caught on CCTV stealing a café worker’s mobile phone has been jailed.

Wayne McKay, 46, entered The Willow Café in Central Park, Peterborough, on Friday, 3 January and made his way to the till area when he picked up a menu along with a member of staff’s mobile phone.

Pretending to look at the menu, McKay put the iPhone 15 – worth about £700 – in his pocket and left.

The theft was reported to police who identified McKay from CCTV footage of the offence.

The following morning (Saturday), he was spotted in the town centre by CCTV operators who alerted police, resulting in his arrest by the city centre neighbourhood team in Cathedral Square.

In interview, he admitted the offence and told officers he “tried to resist” but it got the better of him and he knew he should not have done it.

McKay, of Rayner Avenue, Cardea, Peterborough, appeared at Peterborough Magistrates’ Court on Monday (6 January) where he was jailed for six months and ordered to pay £200 in compensation to the victim after pleading guilty to theft from a person.

PC Eden McClymont, who investigated, said: “McKay saw an opportunity and took it, despite knowing full well it was wrong.

“Thanks to the immediate reporting of the offence, we were able to quickly identify McKay from the footage and share this with CCTV operators who alerted us as soon as they saw him back in the city centre.”