Prolific pair jailed as neighbourhood police team continue retail crime crackdown

A committed neighbourhood policing team is keeping up the pressure on persistent shop thieves in the run-up to Christmas after two prolific offenders were jailed.

Lee Keeton and Chantelle Monk were locked up after pleading guilty to a string of shop thefts in Beeston and Chilwell, as well as admitting to multiple breaches of their criminal behaviour orders.

The Beeston neighbourhood team has worked tirelessly to apply to the courts for criminal behaviour orders to be imposed on persistent and prolific offenders whose repeated offending has blighted local businesses and brought them before a criminal court.

These orders can include strict prohibitions to stop their harmful behaviour as well as positive requirements to address the underlying causes of their behaviour.

Among those repeat offenders to have been given criminal behaviour orders are 29-year-olds Lee Keeton and Chantelle Monk.

Keeton, of Dunsmore Close, Beeston, was arrested on Thursday (14 November) after he was caught stealing bottles of wine from the Co-op in Queens Road, Beeston.

Following inquiries, he was also arrested on suspicion of stealing bottles of wine from the same store, on 12 November, as well as from the One Stop in Queens Road that same day.

Keeton also breached his criminal behaviour order by entering these stores, as well as entering The Star Inn pub in Beeston on 7 November, which he was banned from.

Keeton was jailed for 48 weeks when he appeared at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court for sentencing on Friday (15 November).

Monk, of no fixed address, was also arrested on Thursday (14 November) after she stole more than £100 worth of food and laundry items from the Co-op in Queens Road, Beeston.

Officers quickly discovered she was also wanted on suspicion of other shop thefts in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire.

Monk went on to plead guilty to stealing food and laundry items from the Co-op in Bramcote Lane, Chilwell, on four occasions between 16 October and 2 November, theft of laundry products from the B&M store in Chapel Street, Hucknall, on 4 November, and stealing coffee, meat, and sandwiches from the Co-op in College Street, Long Eaton, on 7 and 19 October.

Monk, who appeared at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court for sentencing on Friday (15 November), also pleaded guilty to two breaches of her criminal behaviour order by entering the Long Eaton store. She was jailed for 42 weeks.

Inspector Usha Madaraa, district commander of Broxtowe, said: “Preventing and reducing shop theft is one of our local crime priorities and my officers are continuing to work with and support local businesses in tackling this issue.

“Shop theft is often accompanied by assaults and threats of violence by offenders.

"Shop workers should not have to put up with this sort of unacceptable behaviour. Staff should feel safe when they are at work and customers should feel safe when they are shopping.

“I want to reassure people that we will continue to do everything we can to identify persistent and prolific offenders and seek to apply for criminal behaviour orders to break this cycle of offending in our communities.

“Neighbourhood policing team officers are regularly out on patrol targeting people who are preying on stores and retail parks, with the aim of combating and deterring shop theft, as well as visiting shops and giving crime prevention advice. This work will continue in hotspot areas the run-up to Christmas.

“Since the start of October, our work has resulted in 30 offences being charged and one adult caution being issued in connection with shop theft offences in the Broxtowe neighbourhood policing area.

"I hope the positive impact and results we're achieving reassures people of our commitment to making our streets safer and that we’re listening to their concerns and taking positive action to tackle them.”