Three men and a woman have been jailed following shop thefts committed in a West Midlands borough. West Midlands Police said the prison sentences were handed out to 'prolific offenders' in Sandwell.
Details of the Sentences
The police force did not name the defendants but revealed the following sentences:
- A 39-year-old woman was given 26 weeks in prison after committing three shop theft offences.
- A 34-year-old man was sentenced to 16 weeks in jail for six shop theft offences.
- A 39-year-old man was sentenced to eight months in prison after committing eight shop theft offences.
- A man, aged 34, was jailed for more than eight months after breaching a criminal behaviour order and committing six shop thefts.
In total, these defendants received more than a hundred weeks of prison time combined.
Other Cases
Meanwhile, West Midlands Police said that a 35-year-old man called Alexander Shaw, who is from Birmingham, has been charged with 15 shop theft offences. He has been remanded in custody to appear at court in May.
Elsewhere, a 26-year-old woman from Wolverhampton, who the police did not name, was charged with four shop theft offences and is due to appear in court this month.
Police Statement
Sgt Jason Walters, from the Sandwell south retail crime team, said: 'We have had some really good results and we are determined to pursue those who are persistently targeting businesses and shops. We work closely with local businesses which has enabled us to really understand the impact of retail crime. If you work in the retail sector and are experiencing shop theft in your workplace you need to report it to us. No one should feel intimidated at work, and no one should feel threatened.'
