Matthew Hodson, 39, of Whitby Road, Ellesmere Port, has been jailed for 26 weeks after pleading guilty to four counts of shoplifting and four counts of breaching a Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO), according to Cheshire Live.
The defendant appeared at Chester Magistrates Court on July 28. The court heard he had been sentenced on Tuesday 14 July to 12 weeks in prison, suspended for one year, and handed a five-year CBO for a number of offences in Northwich, including shoplifting.
Suspended sentence and new theft
Just five days after that original sentencing, on Sunday 19 July, Hodson stole more than £190 worth of alcohol from the Asda in Ellesmere Port. He breached his CBO by concealing items in a bag while inside the store.
Further offences at the same store
He committed three similar offences at the same supermarket the following week, twice on Monday 20 July and once more on Friday 24 July. The total value of the goods stolen during the four incidents amounted to £516.50.
Police comment
Following the sentencing, Police Constable Jenna Tapley, of Ellesmere Port Local Policing unit, said: “Hodson is a prolific offender and despite multiple interventions by both the police and the courts to curb his behaviour, he continues to offend. During his latest crime spree, he thought that he’d be able continue his shoplifting spree by moving from Northwich to Ellesmere Port.
“However, he seriously underestimated the dedication of the team here at Cheshire Police and he’s now behind bars. I hope his sentencing provides reassurance to local businesses, demonstrating that we are committed to doing all we can to tackle shoplifting in Ellesmere Port.”
