A knife carrier and persistent shoplifter has been jailed and banned from two Nottingham businesses he had been terrorising.
Neighbourhood officers tracked down David Tainton on Monday (17 November) after conducting determined searches around Sneinton and The Meadows.
The 46-year-old was responsible for a series of shop thefts between August and October 2025, with all offences taking place at the Co-op store in Sneinton Dale and the BP Garage in Daleside Road.
He had two kitchen knives, heroin and cocaine in his rucksack when officers from the City South neighbourhood policing team stopped him.
Tainton, of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty to two counts of possession of a knife in a public place, two counts of possession of a Class A drug, 15 counts of shop theft and one of criminal damage.
At Nottingham Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday (18 November) he was jailed for a total of 26 weeks.
Magistrates also imposed a Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO) banning him from both the Co-op and the garage for 12 years.
Inspector Steve Dalby, neighbourhood policing inspector for City South, said:
“The neighbourhood teams involved have gone above and beyond in their efforts to trace Tainton as they understand the impact his offending has had.
“Officers successfully identified him as being responsible for this string of shop thefts from multiple locations.
“They have worked efficiently to ensure there was sufficient evidence to convict him and do the extensive groundwork required to secure a CBO.
“The teams have then carried out many hours of searches of the areas Tainton frequents in order to arrest him.
“We hope the jail sentence gives those businesses affected some respite from Tainton’s offending and he is now banned from entering two businesses for more than a decade.
“Carrying knives around is also an extremely serious offence and it is always leasing to take blades out of harm’s way.”
Police teams across Nottinghamshire are taking part in Sceptre, a week of action on knife crime, which lasts until Sunday (23 November).
Throughout the week of action, knife amnesty bins will be situated inside stations, shared services and other locations.
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