A prolific shoplifter has been jailed and banned from several major supermarkets in Swindon following a spate of thefts carried out over a number of weeks.
Martin Burrows, 46, of no fixed address, appeared at Swindon Magistrates’ Court on Friday 6 February, where he pleaded guilty to nine counts of theft. He was sentenced to 28 weeks in prison and made subject to a Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO).
The order will remain in place for two years and bans Burrows from entering Morrisons, Tesco and Co-op stores across the borough.
The court heard that Burrows repeatedly targeted the same shops, stealing large quantities of food and alcohol.
On 29 December, he entered the Co-op store on Somerville Road and stole cheese worth almost £150. The following day, he returned to the same shop and took around £150 worth of meat.
Burrows went back again on 3 January, making off with £185 worth of alcohol. On 14 January, he targeted Morrisons on Marlowe Avenue, stealing food valued at £234.
Wiltshire Police said the thefts formed part of a wider pattern of offending, with hundreds of pounds’ worth of items taken from shops across Swindon.
PC Zoe Johnson welcomed the sentence and the introduction of the Criminal Behaviour Order.
“Burrows is a prolific thief who, over a short period of time, stole hundreds of pounds’ worth of food, including meat, sweets, cheese and alcohol, from a number of shops in Swindon,” she said.
“I’m pleased that a custodial sentence has been imposed and that Burrows is now subject to a Criminal Behaviour Order, which effectively bans him from multiple stores in the town.
“It’s important that shoplifting is not seen as a victimless crime, particularly when it is persistent. We will continue working closely with retailers to identify repeat offenders and use all available measures to hold them to account.”
