Pictured the ‘persistent’ thief who stole from the same shop 4 times in a week
Timothy Nolan, aged 32, targeted the Co-op on Highfield Road, Farnworth, which is just a 15 minute walk from his address on St James Street.
Nolan had been issued with a criminal behaviour order in October, which banned him from entering the shop.
But on March 25, April 5, April 6, April 9 and April 10, he stole from the Co-op.
He appeared before Bolton Crown Court on video link on May 27 to be sentenced.
Prosecuting, Georgia Kennedy-Curnow said: “The defendant was issued with a criminal behaviour order on October 26 for a period of five years, following convictions for theft from a shop.
“He was prevented from entering the Co-op on Highfield Road.”
The court heard that he stole more than £100 worth of goods each time he visited, with some of the totals almost reaching £200.
On April 10, staff “tried to stop” Nolan, but he made off. Police were contacted and he was tracked down before “trying to flee”.
He was then arrested and taken in for questioning, giving a no comment interview.
A victim personal statement from the manager of the Co-op was read out in court.
The manager said how shoplifting takes the staff “away from their normal jobs” and that it makes them nervous.
The statement went on: “Timothy has caused so many problems. We managed to work with police and the council to get a criminal behaviour order to prevent it, but he still does it anyway.
“It feels like I spend so much time dealing with CCTV for the police and giving statements to them.”
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Nolan pleaded guilty to five counts of breaching a criminal behaviour order and five counts of theft from a shop.
He had 58 previous offences, with a significant portion of those being for thefts.
Defending, Georgia Faulke said: “The defendant takes full responsibility. He accepts the entirety of the offending and is ashamed he resorted to those measures.
“He struggles with drug use. This offending is certainly a very poor choice, to fund that drug habit.”
She added Nolan says he is now drug free in prison, and is engaging in Narcotics Anonymous and is in full time work behind bars.
Ms Faulke also made reference to his mental health issues, which would have “played some part” in the offending.
Concluding, Judge Timothy Clayson said: “Each time you were in the shop, you were in breach of the order.
“You caused considerable trouble for the staff, one of whom in their victim personal statement said how you completely ignored the criminal behaviour order.”
He added that Nolan has a “very bad record” for similar offending.
Judge Clayson added: “The difficulty for you is when you don’t have the discipline of the prison environment.
“If you continue to behave like this, to fund your drug habit, then your sentences will simply get longer and longer.”
He sentenced Nolan to two years in prison.
Source – INDIA TV
