Shoplifter who stole from shop and hid from police in bush is jailed
A prolific shoplifter who hid in a bush while being pursued by shop staff has been jailed.
Brendan Keating, 25, entered The Range, in Boongate, Peterborough, on Tuesday, July 23, and stole a speaker worth £59.
He was confronted by a member of staff, who he pushed into a door before running out of the shop and hiding in a bush in the car park as another staff member chased after him.
A spokesperson for Camb police said: “He was arrested two days later after CCTV operators, who knew he was wanted for other thefts, told police he had been seen going into B&M, in Bridge Street, Peterborough.”
Keating, of no fixed address, was charged with common assault and four counts of theft from a shop and appeared at Huntingdon Magistrates’ Court on Saturday (July 27), where he was sentenced to six months in prison and ordered to pay £180 in compensation to Morrisons, £130 in compensation to TK Maxx and £59 in compensation to The Range.
PC Mia Cook, who investigated, commented: “Prolific shoplifters can have a significant impact on the businesses they target in a variety of ways, such as financially and the effect on the staff.”
She added: “I would like to thank all the businesses involved for reporting these incidents, as it allowed us to quickly identify and arrest him. I urge all businesses affected by retail crime to report it to us, no matter the value, as it helps us in building investigations and identifying offenders.”