POLICE say Leamington is safer now a prolific thief is behind bars.
Aaron Palmer, of no fixed address, was sentenced to 24 weeks in prison after appearing at Coventry Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday January 17.
The 34-year-old had pleaded guilty to five counts of theft and one count of fraud by false representation.
On December 1 2023 a car was broken into in Leamington and a jacket and wallet stolen. The owner of the items contacted police after receiving a text message from his bank telling him someone had attempted to use his card.
Later that day Palmer went into a shop and attempted to use the card. After it was declined the shop worker informed the town’s CCTV operators who informed police. They caught up with Palmer, who was wearing the stolen jacket, in The Parade and arrested him.
Palmer was also convicted of five theft offences. On three occasions on two days in December he stole toiletry gift sets totalling more than £400 in value from a shop in Leamington.
On December 29 he stole six bottles of spirits from a shop in Kenilworth.
And on January 10, Palmer was caught on CCTV stealing a parcel from outside a house in Leamington.
When police arrested him again on January 16, Palmer told officers he knew they had been looking for him and had been hiding.
Following his sentencing, PC Barney Tandy, from Warwickshire Police said: “Aaron Palmer is a repeat offender who clearly has no respect for the law. I’m pleased he has now been brought to justice.
“I would like to thank members of the public, businesses and CCTV operators who provided information and footage that helped us catch Palmer. This an excellent example of the community working together to ensure a prolific offender faced the consequences of his actions.
“People and businesses in the Leamington area are safer now he is behind bars.”
