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In a decisive move against retail crime, two prolific thieves from Swale and Medway have been handed immediate prison sentences on the same day.
William Harris, aged 54, embarked on a spree targeting shops along Sheerness High Street between Wednesday 20 December 2023 and Thursday 7 March 2024. His thefts, totalling more than £370 worth of food products and confectionery from establishments such as Iceland, the Co-op, a newsagent, and a clothing store, caught officers’ attention from the town’s Community Safety Unit. Identified through extensive CCTV footage, Harris was arrested on Thursday 12 March, with law enforcement seizing a knife in his possession. Subsequently, he faced charges from investigators of the Swale Victim Based Crime Team, comprising six counts of theft and possession of a knife in a public place.
In a separate incident, Lewis O’Brien, aged 33, faced charges for multiple thefts across Queenborough, Gillingham, and Greenhithe. Between Wednesday 6 March and Tuesday 12 March, O’Brien stole many spirits and DIY items valued at over £500 from various businesses including B&M Stores, Tesco, B&Q, and Asda. O’Brien was identified through CCTV footage and apprehended by constables from the Medway Community Safety Unit on Chatham High Street. Following his arrest, he was charged with six counts of theft by investigators of the Medway Victim-Based Crime Team.
Both individuals swiftly pleaded guilty to their charges at Medway Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday 13 March. Harris, residing at The Broadway, Sheerness, received an immediate jail term of 20 weeks, while O’Brien, of Richmond Road, Gillingham, was sentenced to four months behind bars. Additionally, both men were ordered to compensate their victims for their losses.
Chief Inspector Di Middlemiss, District Commander for Swale, emphasized the authorities’ unwavering determination to combat persistent criminals who flout the law by treating payment for goods as optional. Middlemiss issued a stern warning, stating that individuals engaged in such offending would be pursued relentlessly, with evidence such as CCTV footage leading to swift arrests and subsequent incarceration.
