Prolific Peterborough shoplifter who stole from B&M and QD Stores jailed
Edward Wilby was banned from Bretton Centre and Ortongate Centre last year
A prolific shoplifter who flouted a court order banning him from a Peterborough shopping centre has been jailed.
Edward Wilby, 35, was caught on CCTV on four occasions between 27 February and 10 March stealing from B&M and QD Stores in Ortongate shopping centre.
After being convicted of 24 shoplifting-related offences in Peterborough over a two-year period, Wilby was made subject of a Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO) in July 2023, banning him from the Bretton Centre, including the BP petrol station and M&S store, as well as the area bordered by Flaxlands, Rightwell East, and Bretton Way.
In May last year, two further conditions were added to Wilby’s CBO – not to enter any shop within the Ortongate shopping centre and Tesco Express in Napier Place, Orton Wistow.
On Wednesday (12 March) he was arrested at his home in Mandeville, Orton Goldhay, and the following day admitted four counts of breaching a CBO and four counts of theft from a shop at Huntingdon Magistrates’ Court.
He was sentenced to eight weeks in prison and must also pay £86.14 in compensation to B&M and £50 to QD Stores.
PC Triston, who investigated, said: “Wilby now has more than 30 theft-related convictions on his record and clearly is not learning his lesson.
“Retail crime is something we are working hard to tackle in Peterborough – having orders in place such as CBOs gives us greater powers to disrupt prolific offenders. For as long as he continues to breach the conditions, we will continue to put him before the courts.”