Further success in Bestwood as prison time secured for shoplifting duo

Corey Fawsitt and Ricky Tinsley

Two more persistent shoplifters have been punished – thanks to action taken by Bestwood’s policing team.

Corey Fawsitt and Ricky Tinsley have become the latest thieves to find themselves in court after targeting the same store.

Both were sent to prison at Nottingham Crown Court on Wednesday (4 September), after being arrested for theft the day before.

Fawsitt was caught red handed as he tried to walk out of Co-Op, in Beckhampton Road, with stolen products on Tuesday (3 September).

The 22-year-old was then linked by neighbourhood officers to three more thefts from the same branch of Co-Op, across July and August.  

That wouldn’t prove to be the team’s only shoplifting arrest of the day however, as Tinsley was later detained as well.

The 41-year-old, who was already well-known to the Bestwood officers, was linked to a separate theft from the same store on 11 June.

Tinsley, of Townsend Court, Top Valley, would go on to be handed a four-week prison sentence.

Meanwhile, Fawsitt, of no fixed address, was jailed for 12 weeks for his persistent thieving.

These sentences represent the latest in a long line of good results for the neighbourhood policing team, when it comes to tackling shoplifting.

In recent months, there has been a marked improvement in the number of shop theft reports leading to action being taken by police in Bestwood.

When comparing May to July with February to April, police have achieved a 66 per cent rise in positive outcomes when investigating reports of shoplifting.

That means shop theft suspects going on to be arrested, charged, handed a custodial sentence, or issued with a criminal behaviour order (CBO).

If you go further back and compare May to July with the same period in 2023, there has been an even more stark rise in positive outcomes of a massive 425 per cent.

Visible and plain-clothed patrols, targeted shoplifting days of action, and closer working with stores to gather the evidence needed to prosecute offenders have all helped with this.

Tackling acquisitive crimes, like shoplifting, has been a policing priority for Bestwood and the wider city north area for some time now, with the area’s inspector vowing to maintain the pressure.

“Fawsitt and Tinsley are both prolific shoplifters who are well known to our officers, so it was pleasing to catch up with them and put them behind bars,” said Inspector Paul Ferguson.

 “Our Bestwood team has been doing a great job taking positive action to stop shoplifting in the area – which, as an acquisitive crime, is a priority area for us in city north.

“Getting our officers out in the community each day on their targeted patrols allows them to be in the right place at the right time to spot and respond to incidents, while providing a crime deterrent too.

“Providing that regular presence has also allowed our team to build up good relationships with the shops as well, to help us zero in on those thieves who repeatedly target the same stores.

“It is important that we continue the progress we’ve made and look to take more criminals off the streets and put them before the courts, to receive the sentences needed to halt their offending.”