Thief stole more than £1,500 of goods from stores across Cambridge

A 26-year-old thief who stole goods worth more than £1,500 from stores across Cambridge has been jailed.

Between 23 September and his arrest on 6 October, Sean Smith stole items including scratch cards, alcohol, electric toothbrushes and perfume.

He targeted stores across the city including Decathlon, B&Q, Tesco, Superdrug and John Lewis.

Smith, of no fixed address, also stole a bike after breaking the lock from where it was secured in Burleigh Street, and assaulted the owner.

Smith pleaded guilty to seven counts of theft, three counts of burglary, bike theft and common assault at Cambridge Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday (7 October). He was sentenced to 28 weeks in prison.

PC Bradleigh Bucknell, from the southern spree offender team, said: “Persistent theft and brazen disregard for the law has consequences. We hope this sentence sends a clear message that repeat offending will not be tolerated in Cambridge.”