A PERSISTENT shoplifter has been jailed for committing a string of offences in Leamington over 12 days.
Gareth Haywood, of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty to three counts of theft and one count of attempted theft at Coventry Magistrates’ Court on Friday February 2.
The 55-year-old was sentenced to 24 weeks in prison.
Haywood’s crime spree started on January 20 when he stole four jars of manuka honey from a shop in the Parade.
He then went on to steal more than £80 worth of food from a shop in Radford Road in incidents on January 25 and January 30.
On February 1, officers were out looking for another shoplifter when they happened to spot Haywood stealing from the same shop in Radford Road and arrested him.
Sergeant Ben James-Pemberton from Warwickshire Police said: “We are making a concerted effort to deal with shoplifters like Haywood. We know the detrimental impact it has on businesses and the knock-on costs to members of the public. It also upsetting for staff.
“With this sentence we see another persistent shoplifter behind bars. We will continue to in our efforts to bring shoplifters to justice and work with businesses to help improve their security and discourage offenders.”
