David Hanson, a repeat offender with 105 prior convictions, has made history as the first individual to be incarcerated through a private prosecution after breaking into a Marks & Spencer store in Streatham Hill. The 44-year-old thief, with a rap sheet including 33 burglaries, was apprehended red-handed by detectives from a private policing firm.
The incident unfolded when Hanson brazenly raided the M&S outlet, making off with £500 worth of prime sirloin and T-bone steaks, alongside 20 bottles of prosecco. Despite the store manager’s swift action in alerting authorities and providing CCTV evidence, the Metropolitan Police opted not to pursue the case, leaving the matter to be taken up by TM Eye, a private investigative company founded by former Scotland Yard chief detective David McKelvey.
