Calum Edwards, a 36-year-old prolific shoplifter previously banned from all Tesco stores in Newport, has been sent to prison after being caught again.
Edwards, from Newport, pleaded guilty to 11 counts of theft and a criminal behaviour order breach. He was arrested by police carrying out a shoplifting crackdown in the city last week.
Court Order Details
The two-year criminal behaviour order was imposed in April this year at Newport Magistrates' Court. It banned Edwards from entering any Tesco store in the city of Newport.
He was also prohibited from entering any Spar store in Newport, Maesglas Industrial Estate, the M&S Foodhall in Friars Walk Shopping Centre, and Maesglas Retail Park.
Sentencing and Police Response
Edwards, of no fixed abode, appeared in court on Thursday, August 13, where he was sentenced to eight weeks in prison.
Inspector Roland Giles of Gwent Police said: “I want to reassure businesses and residents that we are continuing to listen to your concerns and this sentence will be welcomed by those affected by Edwards’ criminality.”
“Theft, and particularly shoplifting, is not a victimless crime and Edwards’ offending has caused misery to retailers in Newport impacted by his behaviour.”
“Partnership working is an essential part of neighbourhood policing and we've been working closely with stores across Newport to offer crime prevention advice, strengthen security, and respond robustly to make arrests.”
“As evidenced recently during Operation Krypton in Newport we're working round the clock to identify offenders like Edwards, who cause harm to our communities, and put them before the courts.”
