A prolific thief has been returned to jail after flouting a court order banning him from a local supermarket.
Nathan Smith, aged 29, was given a Criminal Behaviour Order in January last year banning him from entering three supermarkets in Mansfield after he’d repeatedly stolen from them.
Smith, who has multiple previous convictions for shoplifting offences, pleaded guilty to nine counts of theft and breaching a Criminal Behaviour Order.
Appearing at Mansfield Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, he was jailed for 20 weeks.
Members of the Mansfield Neighbourhood Policing Team are currently targeting the relatively small number prolific offenders responsible for a disproportionate number of shop thefts in the town.
Where possible, officers are applying to the courts for Criminal Behaviour Behaviours which can restrict the movements and behaviours of offenders – banning them from certain locations and prohibiting them from taking certain actions.
Inspector Kylie Davies, district commander for Mansfield, said:
“Shoplifting is a blight on local businesses and shop staff, and remains a key local priority for my officers.
“Criminal Behaviour Orders are an extremely effective way to hold people like Smith to account and we are working all the time to secure more of them.
“As he has just found out, the courts take a very dim view of people who ignore them and are very likely to send them to straight to jail.”