Two men from Oxford and Buckinghamshire sentenced for stealing £22,000 worth of goods from Essex stores.
The police linked the pair to eleven thefts. These happened all over the county. Thefts included Chelmer Village Next and Boots. This is in Chelmsford. One man used a special jacket.
It concealed stolen items, police say. The jacket had a cut-open lining. He could hide things easily in stores. Thomas McDonagh is 21 years old. He is from Oxford.
He got charged with eight thefts. They happened in December and January. Stolen goods totaled almost £20,000. The court sentenced McDonagh to jail for 16 months.
He can’t enter Next stores. This order covers England and Wales. He also can’t enter Boots stores in Essex. It lasts five years. Martin Stokes is 23 years old.
He is from Buckinghamshire. He was charged with one theft. Stokes also had two adapted jackets. These charges relate to the jackets. Stokes avoided jail time.
He cares for his young child. He also cares for his ill mother. Family responsibilities affected the judge’s choice. Stokes received a suspended jail sentence.
It lasts 16 weeks but won’t start. He must complete 80 hours of unpaid work. The suspension lasts 18 months too. A police officer, Dominic Potts, commented.
He said the stolen goods were quite valuable. Police pursue serious cases to bring justice. McDonagh now has a criminal order. After prison, he must avoid certain places.
He could return to prison. Continuing the crimes isn’t worth it. Shoplifting hurts businesses, said Potts. Police try to catch repeat offenders. They want to reduce harm to local shops. They want to bring offenders to court.