A prolific Thanet shoplifter has been jailed

Reece Richardson

A prolific thief who stole £1,000 worth of goods from shops and supermarkets in Thanet has been jailed for 12 months.

Reece Richardson, 24, of no fixed address, stole meat, alcohol, chocolate, washing detergents and a variety of cosmetics on 13 separate occasions between October and December 2017.

He took the goods, totalling more than £1000 in value, from a pharmacy and several supermarkets in Birchington, Sandwich, Ramsgate and Margate.

Richardson was arrested for the offences by Kent Police officers on Tuesday 2 January and  charged with 13 counts of theft.

He was immediately sentenced to 12 months in prison when he appeared at Medway Magistrates’ Court via video link on Wednesday 3 January. He has also been ordered to pay back the value of all the items stolen.

Investigating officer PC Dan Sawyer said: “Richard’s repeated offending not only left businesses out of pocket but left staff feeling vulnerable too.

“Shoplifting will not be tolerated by Kent Police and we hope this result acts as a good deterrent for others thinking about committing the same offence.”