Tommy Collinson, of York Road, was stopped last Saturday by an officer from the city’s Operation Raker team – dedicated to cracking down on criminal behavior in Southend’s shopping areas – who recognized him on Ilfracombe Avenue.
Collinson admitted committing 10 thefts from shops – totaling £629.25 worth of meat, fish, coffee, chocolate and cheese – and eight breaches of a criminal behavior order between March 23 and April 15 at Magistrates’ Court from Southend last Monday.
The 36-year-old also admitted one count of assault by beating.
He was given a 16-week prison sentence, suspended for a year, as well as a six-month drug treatment period with STARS and a 30-day rehabilitation activity period.
Magistrates also ordered Collinson to pay compensation of £629.95, costs of £145 and a victim surcharge of £187.
The court also heard that Collinson was given a three-year criminal behavior order on April 14 last year. This prohibits him from entering:
- Farm Foods, Greyhound Retail Park, Southend
- Matalan, Greyhound Shopping Park, Southend
- Tesco Express, Southchurch Road, Southend
- Co-op, Sutton Road, Southend
- Co-op, Hamlet Court Road, Westcliff
- Co-op, London Road, Westcliff
- Iceland, York Road, Southend
- PO Box, London Road, Hadleigh
Magistrates agreed to uphold the order but, in addition, ban him from entering Iceland at the Greyhound Retail Park in Southend.
The Southend town center policing team launched Operation Raker last year to target prolific repeat offenders, including shoplifters who steal to fund an addiction.
Since then, more than 30 people have been charged for more than 300 offenses.
