Police said a serial shoplifter and beggar in Clifton 'made people's lives a misery'. Leigham Myers - who was responsible for a series of thefts across the area during November and December last year - has now been brought before the courts.
Members of the public complained about the 34-year-old persistently begging at the McDonald's restaurant in Clifton Lane. They also said he did this at the nearby Tesco service station.
Myers admitted to a total of 14 shop thefts and six counts of begging when he appeared at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court on January 5. In a statement after the hearing, Nottinghamshire Police said he had 'made life a misery' for shoppers and business owners.
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Myers, of Wilkins Gardens, Clifton, was sentenced to 16 weeks' jail, suspended for 12 months, and ordered to complete a drugs rehabilitation course by magistrates. PC Jane Gibson, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: "Shoplifting and begging can be a serious blight on communities and will never be tolerated by Nottinghamshire Police.
"We work hard with our partners and local businesses to prevent this type of offending in the first place and crack down on the small number of individuals like Myers who are responsible for a disproportionate number of shop thefts." Inspector Karl Thomas, neighbourhood policing inspector for Nottingham South, added: "We are really pleased as a neighbourhood team to have responded to repeated concerns from members of the public and local businesses in Clifton about this individual.
"Some people might think begging and shoplifting aren't serious but in reality they impact on the whole community. Shop owners are left out of pocket by repeated thefts and have to spend more money on security measures.
"Anti-social behaviour and begging can also have a detrimental effect on a neighbourhood and can stop people visiting and spending their money there."
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