Cambridge thief stopped after fleeing M&S with £120 worth of steaks is jailed for breaching Criminal Behaviour Order

A Cambridge thief caught running from M&S with eight steaks on Monday was apprehended thanks to a team effort and is now in jail for breaching his Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO).

Stephen Neal, 35, of Trafalgar Street, Cambridge, was first spotted by security staff breaching his order by entering Sainsbury’s on Sidney Street.

He was removed from the store, but security staff and CCTV operators kept an eye on him as he left and went into nearby Marks & Spencer on Market Hill.

A few minutes later, he fled M&S with the steaks - worth more than £120 - but was swiftly stopped by the member of the security team and subsequently arrested by police.

He was sentenced to 12 weeks in prison on Tuesday after pleading guilty to theft and breach of a CBO.

Neal’s CBO is in place until December 2023 and order him not to:

• Be in possession of any pedal cycle or cycle part unless having notified police of his lawful possession
• Go to Superdrug, Boots, Go Outdoors or Sainsbury’s in Cambridge or within the boundary of the M11, A11 and A14 unless he has a current prescription or has been directed by a GP to attend.

PC Emily-Jayne Matthews, from the Cambridge neighbourhood policing team, said: “The arrest and conviction of Neal is thanks to the teamwork of shops, CAMBAC [Cambridge Business Against Crime] and the use of their radios and police working together. I hope this sends a message to others that there is no place for crime in our city.”