Relentless shoplifter jailed after stealing from Whitstable supermarkets

A shoplifter who continued to target businesses despite a court order banning him from certain stores has now been jailed.

Adrian Marsh was prohibited from entering four supermarkets in Whitstable under the terms of a Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO) obtained by Kent Police in April this year.

But the 41-year-old continued to offend, carrying out a further five thefts in the town in May, leading to his arrest.

Following an investigation by Canterbury’s Victim Based Crime Team, he was charged with, and later admitted, five counts of theft and breach of the CBO.

At Folkestone Magistrates’ Court on Friday 10 June, Marsh was jailed for 21 months and made the subject of a further order banning him from a number of stores on his release.

Offences

The sentencing came after Marsh stole meat from a supermarket in Tankerton Road on Sunday 15 May. Nine days later, he went to four other stores in the town and stole alcohol, meat and fish.

His final offence was in Prospect Way on Tuesday 31 May, when he again stole meat and fish. The total value to the products stolen in the five thefts was more than £550.

Marsh, of Canterbury Road, was arrested on the afternoon of 31 May and work by the Victim Based Crime Team linked him to all five offences.

He was banned from a store in Reeves Way from which he stole on Tuesday 24 May, leading to him being charged with breaching the CBO.

Protecting businesses

Sergeant Rachel Mulder, of Canterbury’s Victim Based Crime Team, said: ‘Kent Police is committed to protecting local businesses from the attentions of repeat offenders like Marsh. CBOs, like the one we obtained in this case, are designed to do precisely that.

‘Marsh ignored the opportunity to stop his offending after the court order was imposed, and the sentence he has now received shows how seriously the court takes such breaches. The message to prolific shoplifters is clear: Keep offending and you will be jailed.’