Portsmouth Shoplifter Johnny Kerridge Busted After String of Thefts
Johnny Kerridge of Kingston Crescent, Portsmouth, has been sentenced at Portsmouth Crown Court for a spree of shoplifting offences spanning 2019 and 2020.
The Crimes: A String of Daring Steals
- 16 November 2019: Kerridge swiped £70 worth of cigarettes from Waitrose on Marmion Road just before 6pm.
- Later that night at 10.15pm, he wrestled with staff at the Co-Op on Great Southsea Street to snatch cash from the till. Thankfully, no one was hurt.
- 14 August 2020: £176 worth of tobacco was stolen from One Stop on Chichester Road.
- 22 August: £120 worth of tobacco and chocolate taken from Sainsbury’s Local on Albert Road—three times in one day.
- 23 August: Meat and cheese worth £40 pinched from Co-Op on Fawcett Road.
- 24 August: £40 of confectionery stolen from Co-Op on Elm Grove.
- 25 August: £60 worth of confectionery taken from Co-Op on Fawcett Road.
- 27 August: £280 of meat, fish, cheese, and chocolate nicked from Co-Op on Copnor Road.
- 3 September: £130 worth of meat products stolen from Co-Op on Francis Avenue.
- 5 September: Two thefts—£110 of meat and goods from Co-Op Elm Grove at 9.30am, then £200 of meat and chocolate from Co-Op at The Hard at 2.55pm.
- 4 October: Around £30 of tobacco stolen from Co-Op on Northern Parade.
Guilty Plea and Suspended Sentence Breach
Kerridge pleaded guilty to ten counts of shop theft. He was also found guilty of breaching a suspended sentence handed down in April at Portsmouth Magistrates Court. That order related to offences including three counts of failing to stop, driving while disqualified, and two theft charges.
Operation Monster Cracks Down
The investigation was part of Operation Monster, a dedicated effort by Portsmouth police working closely with local businesses to stamp out aggravated shoplifting and related crimes.
