Prolific Northampton shoplifter jailed and given criminal behaviour order

A man who was jailed after admitting repeated store thefts is now subject to a three-year criminal behaviour order designed to prevent reoffending following his release.

Joseph Mills, aged 33, was sentenced at Northampton Crown Court in September after pleading guilty to 11 counts of theft from Tesco Express and One Stop stores in Northampton in June and July of this year.

His offending mainly involved the theft of wine or other alcohol and meat products.

As well as being given a four-month custodial sentence, Mills was given a three-year criminal behaviour order, which bans him from entering either of the shops he targeted.

The order also prevents him from remaining in any shop where he has been asked to leave by staff, or entering any business that has previously banned him.

If Mills, of no fixed address, breaks any of these conditions he can be arrested and charged with breaching the order, risking further imprisonment.

Sergeant Sharan Wildman, of the Force’s Retail Crime Team, said: “Joseph Mills has caused no end of problems for the stores he has targeted, and I’m very glad to see a criminal behaviour order granted to help prevent future offending.

“Shoplifting is not a victimless crime and staff at these businesses were repeatedly affected by his behaviour.

“Northamptonshire Police has a robust approach to shoplifting and thanks to our retail crime team we are seeing increasing numbers of offenders brought before the courts, as well as a growing number of criminal behaviour orders to help prevent further offences.

“We continue to work with our retail communities and urge them to always report offences – the more information we have, the more we can do to help them and bring criminals to justice.”

Requirements of the criminal behaviour order

The defendant must not:

• Enter The One Stop Shop, Stanhope Road, Kingsthorpe, Northampton.
• Enter Tesco Express, 16-18 Link Road, Kingsthorpe, Northampton.
• Remain on any shop premises in Northamptonshire when he has been asked to leave by staff (or any person with the authority to make such a request) or enter any shop premises in Northamptonshire from which he has been banned or excluded.