A man has been jailed after stealing alcohol, electrical goods and other items worth hundreds of pounds at a supermarket in Mansfield. Matthew Clay, 53, was wanted by Nottinghamshire Police for several weeks.
The force arrested Clay on December 6. He was subsequently charged with five counts of shoplifting.
Clay, of Sharratt Court, Mansfield, pleaded guilty at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court on December 14 and was jailed for ten months. He was also ordered to pay £250 in compensation.
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PC Ryan Ward, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “Shoplifting offences have a significant impact on local businesses and won’t be tolerated in Mansfield. Clay stole alcohol, electrical goods and other items worth many hundreds of pounds and I am pleased he has now been brought to justice.
“I also hope this very strong sentence sends out a clear message to others who think they can take what they want from local businesses: we will track you down and we will prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law.” The sentence comes as the Mansfield neighbourhood policing team continues an anti-shoplifting campaign in the town centre.
Inspector Kylie Davies, district commander for Mansfield, said: “We know that a disproportionate number of shop thefts in the town centre come from a relatively small group of people. By relentlessly targeting that same group of people we are already seeing some very promising results.
“Several individuals are currently behind bars and others have already been made the subject of restrictive civil court orders.”
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