A shoplifter who brazenly stole goods worth more than £34,000 in a six-week spree has been jailed after he was caught trying to flee the country.
Wesley Maughan, 25, was one of the cases brought to Police and Crime Commissioner Lisa Townsend’s attention during a visit to the Boots CCTV Monitoring Centre over the summer.
Lisa met with security staff at the hub in Nottinghamshire after their work with Surrey Police led to the arrest and charge of 22-year-old Ashford man John Ward.
Ward, who stole items worth £60,000 from Boots, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Co-op stores was jailed for two years in April.
The hub has now worked with the Force once again to secure a conviction for Maughan, of Slough.
Shoplifters sentenced
Maughan, who admitted 13 counts of theft from a shop, raided Boots, Tesco and Co-op stores across Surrey, London, Buckinghamshire and Kent. He targeted nicotine, healthcare and cosmetics products.
CCTV captured him entering a Boots store before filling bags with goods, concealing items in his coat, and leaving without paying.
He was arrested at Harwich International Port in May after trying to flee the country under a false identity, and has this week been sentenced to 22 months in prison at Aylesbury Crown Court.
The Commissioner said: “The sentences received by Maughan and Ward should serve as a timely reminder to those who target our business communities.
“Surrey Police will not tolerate retail crime, and our officers will bring offenders to justice.
“We will not tolerate it”
“I’d like to thank everyone involved in these cases for their fantastic work.”
Retail crime is a key priority for both the Commissioner and senior leaders at Surrey Police.
In the past year, there have been 800 additional shoplifting charges, and the arrest rate for these crimes has more than doubled.
Investigating officer PC Annalise Ware said: “Shoplifting is not a victimless crime.
“It can have a devastating impact on businesses and their communities. Staff can be left feeling vulnerable and powerless and customers are also often affected.
Force priority
“It is a priority for us to tackle retail crime head on, relentlessly pursuing those who steal from shops and getting them in front of the courts.
“Crucial to this is shoplifting being reported – irrespective of value – as it helps us build an intelligence picture of who the offenders are and the trends in their behaviour.
“In this case, working in partnership with retailers helped us to quickly identify Maughan as a suspect, charge and sentence him for multiple offences.
“I hope this outcome reassures our communities that we are committed to tackling shoplifting and serves as a reminder that we are working daily to drive retail crime out of Surrey.”