A prolific shop thief has been locked up after ignoring a court order intended to prevent her from causing further harm.
Kelly Freestone was banned from entering two Co-op stores in Beeston, another Co-op in Chilwell, as well as the B&M Bargains, Home Bargains, and Savers stores in Beeston – under the terms of a three-year Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO) she was issued with in April 2024.
However, on 16 March 2026, the 42-year-old entered the B&M Bargains store and selected some home furnishings, including cushions, before she stepped over a barrier to avoid the tills.
She left the store without making any attempt to pay.
Four days later Freestone entered the Co-op, in Queen’s Road, Beeston, put some vegetables in a bag she brought with her and again left without making any attempt to pay.
Freestone, of Ribblesdale Court, Chilwell, is well known to neighbourhood officers and was spotted and arrested in Beeston on 23 March.
CCTV footage showed her stealing the items on both occasions – breaching her CBO by entering the stores.
Freestone was subsequently charged with offences and appeared at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday 24 March.
She pleaded guilty to two counts of theft and two counts of breaching her CBO and was jailed for six months. She was also told to pay £65 compensation.
PC Erin Bellaby, of the Beeston neighbourhood policing team, said: “Freestone showed a blatant disregard for her court-imposed CBO and continued to commit shop theft.
“Shoplifting is not a victimless crime and the damaging impact it has on retailers, their staff, and their customers cannot be underestimated.
“Store staff can be left feeling vulnerable and powerless and customers are also often affected.
“I hope the outcome in this case reassures our communities that we are committed to tackling and preventing shoplifting and we will continue to work closely with our partners, as well as business owners, to identify solutions to protect retailers and the public from harm.”