Three prolific thieves have been put behind bars after police launched a crackdown on theft and antisocial behaviour in Mansfield. Their crimes included shoplifting and using a stolen bank card taken from a car.
David Lafferty, 42, was arrested last week after he was linked to multiple shop thefts over the summer. Lafferty, of Bentinck Street, Sutton-in-Ashfield, helped himself to clothes, laundry and health supplements worth more than £600.
Appearing at Mansfield Magistrates Court on September 1 Lafferty, who has multiple previous convictions, pleaded guilty to eight theft offences. He was jailed for six months.
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Zeke Dalziel, 26, was caught on CCTV using a bank card he had just stolen from a parked car, Nottinghamshire Police said. He was then seen buying scratch cards in a shop after breaking onto a car on Sadler Street, Mansfield.
Dalziel, of Bailey Crescent, Mansfield, later pleaded guilty to theft and fraud by false representation and was jailed for six weeks on August 26. He will also have to serve the remainder of a previous sentence.
Aaron Turner, 34, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to six shop thefts in and around Mansfield and was jailed for 16 weeks on August 25. Police said two other men have also been charged with theft offences.
'Minor' crimes have 'huge impact'
Inspector Kylie Davies, district commander for Mansfield, said: “Some people think that shoplifting and other non-violent thefts are minor offences, but this is simply not the case. These offences have a huge impact on local businesses and the wider town.
"We won’t tolerate them and are working hard to identify and disrupt the most prolific offenders. We will soon be working with a rolling cohort of known repeat offenders and seeing what we can do to put a stop to their behaviour.
"As well as arresting and charging people, we will also be applying for Criminal Behaviour Orders that will be used to disrupt people’s activities. This recent spate of convictions is a further sign of that intent and we are working hard with our partners to bring more offenders to justices.
"My thanks go to everyone at the neighbourhood, response, managed incident and prisoner handling teams who have worked so hard to deliver these results."
What are Criminal Behaviour Orders?
Criminal Behaviour Orders are granted by magistrates if they believe a person convicted of an offence is likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress to others. Breaching an order can lead to a term of imprisonment of up to four years.
The first orders in Mansfield are expected to be confirmed in the coming weeks. Officers say they are then hoping to target a continually rotating cohort of five offenders.
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