A prolific shop thief who stole a variety of food items from her local area has been locked up and banned from entering shops thanks to great work by neighbourhood officers.
Kelly Freestone continued to offend, irrespective of warnings and second chances she was given, by targeting stores and breaching her licence conditions after being released from prison on 25 March 2024.
The 40-year-old entered a Co-op store, in Wilmot Lane, Beeston, on 5 April 2024, filled her basket with packs of cheese and left without making any attempt to pay. The theft was captured on CCTV footage.
Freestone, formerly of Ribblesdale Court, Chilwell, returned the next day and this time filled her basket with around £150 worth of meat products before leaving without any offer of payment.
Following inquiries carried out by the Beeston neighbourhood policing team, Freestone was arrested in connection with the thefts and was duly charged.
She pleaded guilty to two counts of shop theft and was jailed for six months when she appeared at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court on Friday (12 April 2024).
As well as her prison sentence, Freestone was given a three-year criminal behaviour order, banning her from entering the Co-op stores in Wilmot Lane and Queen’s Road in Beeston, the Co-op in Bramcote Lane, Chilwell, B&M Bargains in The Square, Beeston, Home Bargains in Queen’s Road, Beeston, and Savers in High Road, Beeston.
PC Dean Bardill, of the Beeston neighbourhood policing team, said: “Freestone is a prolific shoplifter who continued to target local stores and breach her licence conditions.
“Her brazen and persistent offending has had a considerable impact on local businesses, so I am pleased we have now been able to give them some respite by removing Freestone from our streets and obtaining this three-year order banning her from entering stores.
“Whilst I hope Freestone gets the support she needs to change her appalling behaviour, if she goes on to breach her criminal behaviour order she will find herself back before the courts and could face being sent back to prison.”
Inspector Mike Ebbins, District Commander for Broxtowe, added: “This result is due to some absolutely brilliant work by the neighbourhood team.
“Tackling and reducing shop theft is a current local policing priority and I hope the positive action we are taking reassures our local businesses, their customers, and members of the public that we are treating this type of offending seriously and we will do everything we can to protect them from harm and bring offenders to justice.”
