A Swindon man described by police as a prolific shoplifter has been sentenced to prison after admitting a long list of offences carried out across the town in less than a month.
David Mundy, 36, of Farndale Close, was handed a 16-month prison sentence at Swindon Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, January 8. He had been charged with 32 offences and pleaded guilty to 31 of them.
The convictions included 15 counts of theft, 15 breaches of a Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO), one attempted theft and one assault.
The CBO had been issued in November in an effort to curb further offending, but police said Mundy continued to target shops across Swindon regardless.
All of the offences took place between December 12 and January 9 and involved a number of retailers, including Tesco, Morrisons and the Co-op.
One incident on Christmas Day saw Mundy steal a full display stand of chocolate valued at £75.
PC Will Cooper said the sentence reflected the seriousness of the repeated offending and sent a clear message to those affected.
“We are pleased with the outcome in this case, in which David Mundy, a prolific Swindon shoplifter, has been convicted after being charged with 32 offences,” he said.
“We hope this reassures local businesses that repeat offending is treated seriously. We would encourage retailers and members of the public to keep reporting incidents, either via 101 or by calling 999 in an emergency. The information provided plays a crucial role in identifying offenders.”
Wiltshire Police say all reports of retail crime, including theft and abusive behaviour, are taken seriously. Incidents can be reported by calling 101 or online via the Wiltshire Police website. Emergencies should always be reported on 999.
