Brighton Shoplifter Banned from City Centre After 23 Thefts
prolific thief slapped with city centre ban
Elliot Cahill, 31, from Hove, has been banned from key Brighton shopping hotspots after being caught shoplifting 23 times. The serial offending spree targeted businesses along North Street and St James’s Street for several months.
Criminal Behaviour Order hits the streets
At Lewes Crown Court on Wednesday (September 27), Cahill was slapped with a Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO) to stop him reoffending. The order forbids him from entering North Street, including The White Company, and the Co-op on St James’s Street.
He also received a 12-week suspended prison sentence.
Police crackdown backed by local businesses
Cahill’s capture was thanks to Operation Apprentice—a joint effort between Sussex Police, Brighton and Hove’s Business Crime Reduction Partnership (BCRP), and Business Improvement District (BID) ambassadors. This taskforce targets business crime and anti-social behaviour in the area.
“Shoplifting isn’t a victimless crime,” said Inspector Ben Hearth of Brighton & Hove’s Neighbourhood Policing Team. “Shopworkers face abuse, threats, and intimidation. Thanks to businesses including The White Company, we had the evidence needed to secure this CBO.”
“These orders are vital tools. If Cahill breaks it, he will face harsher penalties. We are determined to keep fighting this damaging crime in partnership with local business groups.”
