'Prolific' shoplifter who hid salmon and meat in his jacket is handed a Criminal Behaviour Order

Watch more of our videos on ShotsTV.com 
and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565
Visit Shots! now
Police said the man used an empty bag as a form of distraction to get away with the offences

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

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

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

A spokesperson for Cambridgeshire Constabulary said: “Almost three weeks later, on January 24, 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.

Donatas VeckasDonatas Veckas
Donatas Veckas

“He was arrested at his home address in Dogsthorpe Road, Dogsthorpe, on March 18 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 January 3.”

Veckas appeared at Peterborough Magistrates’ Court on Friday, May 31, where he was sentenced to six 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 and Asda in Rivergate.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

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.

News you can trust since 1948
Follow us
©National World Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.Cookie SettingsTerms and ConditionsPrivacy notice