A prolific shoplifter has been jailed after brazenly breaching a court order not to enter shops across the county. Lewis O’Brien, of New Road, Chatham, had previously been made the subject of a Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO) barring him from all Tesco and B&M stores across Kent, as well as entering any shop with a bag.
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Despite this, O’Brien entered B&M on Gillingham High Street twice this month and, on one of these occasions, stole smart watches, speakers and a gaming bridge worth £186. He also entered Tesco on Bridge Road, Sheerness twice on 18 September 2025. He stole alcohol on both occasions. The following day, he took meat worth £77.86 from Lidl in West Street, Sittingbourne where he was subsequently arrested.
During a hearing at Medway Magistrates’ Court on Monday 22 September, O’Brien pleaded guilty to five counts of breaching his CBO and four charges of theft. He was sentenced to 14 weeks in prison. His blatant disregard for the conditions in his court order were a consideration affecting the sentence.
Sergeant Paul Relf said:
‘O’Brien has frequently been on our radar for similar crimes and his imprisonment is a testament to the effectiveness of CBOs. I hope he serves as a warning for others with restrictions; if you breach them you risk an immediate period behind bars.’