'Pest' shoplifter who stole from same store 27 times behind bars

A serial shoplifter who tormented staff by targeting the same Bestwood store over and over again has now been jailed. 

Patrick Butler repeatedly went into Co-op, in Beckhampton Road, and helped himself to items – sometimes more than once a day.

The 43-year-old stole from the shop on no less than 27 separate occasions between December and the start of this month.

Each time, he slunk inside the store, grabbed whatever items he could get his hands on, placed them in a bag and walked out without paying.

Most of Butler’s thefts, 21 of them, came while he was wanted for failing to attend court after being charged with six more shop thefts.

After going AWOL for that on 12 March, Butler – who stole £210 worth of stock from the store between December to February – disappeared.

It didn’t take long for him to offend again, however, with the thief stealing cheese and laundry products during two visits to Co-op on 23 March.

Butler followed this up by walking into the shop and stealing stock eight more times, between 24 March and 2 May – before again going into hiding.

He then made three separate trips to Co-op on 4 May, with Butler brazenly walking out with a shopping bag full of items on one occasion. 

The thief then made two visits on 12 May and two more the day after (13 May) – filling a bag with items each time.  

Butler returned to the store to steal five more times after that before stopping, with one of his thefts on 25 May seeing him also shove a staff member before leaving.

In total, nearly £1,400 worth of stock was taken by Butler during his theft spree.

After multiple arrest attempts, officers were able to track down and catch Butler at an address in Top Valley during the early hours of Wednesday (12 June). 

Butler, of Leiston Gardens, Bestwood Park, was subsequently charged with 21 shop thefts and for failing to surrender to police.

He appeared at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court on Thursday (13 June), where he admitted to these offences – along with the six other thefts.  

Butler was jailed for 12 months and issued with a criminal behaviour order (CBO) banning him from entering the store for any reason for the next two years.

Sergeant Katie Taylor, of Nottinghamshire Police's Bestwood neighbourhood policing team, said: "Patrick Butler has been a pest to the Bestwood community for some time now – especially those working at the local Co-op. 

"On no less than 27 separate occasions, he walked into the shop with the sole purpose of helping himself to items without ever intending to pay for them. 

"Despite our officers catching Butler and charging him with the first six thefts, he then decided not to bother showing up to court to answer for what he'd done, but went into hiding instead. 

"Not content with this, he then went on to steal from the same store again and again – taking around £1,400 worth of stock in the process.

"The arrogance he showed in continuing to target the same shop so many times was staggering, so we're really pleased to have been able to track him down and bring him before the courts. 

"We fully understand how much of a negative impact shoplifters like Butler can have on communities, which is why targeting acquisitive crimes such as this remains one of our policing priorities for the city north area. 

“Shoplifting offences are a blight on the community, and are unfair on shoppers who spend their hard-earned money on items.

"We're really pleased with the court's ruling – not just the custodial sentence – as having this CBO in place means if Butler decides to repeat his offending, he will more than likely find himself behind bars again."