Face of shoplifting Essex woman who has been banned from every BP garage across the county

Stacey Samuels, 35 has been banned from every BP garage in Essex
-Credit:Essex Police


This is the face of a rampant shoplifting woman who has been banned from every BP garage and store across Essex. Stacey Samuels, 35, has also been banned from entering the Co-op store in Hamlet Court Road, Westcliff, for a two year period.

The criminal behaviour order was given to Samuels by Basildon magistrates at a court hearing on January 22 this year. They were told Samuels had admitted 39 counts of shop theft totalling almost £1,600 of goods – including meat, ready meals, boxes of chocolates and bottles of wine – between 28 January and 24 March 2024.

She also admitted two attempted shop thefts, possession of cannabis and possession of cocaine. Samuels, of Prince Avenue, Westcliff, targeted the BP garage in West Street, Westcliff, as well as the Co-op in Hamlet Court Road, over a two-month period.

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Samuels was arrested in March 2024 when a town centre team officer spotted her shortly after she was reported to be stealing from the BP garage in West Street. The officer found her in possession of stolen meat. Samuels was subsequently charged with 33 counts of shop theft. While on court bail, she committed another six thefts and a further two attempts in just four days.

Sergeant Steve Wells, of Southend Town Centre Team, said after the hearing: “Samuels is a persistent shoplifter but my team caught up with her and she’s had to face the consequences of her actions.

“I hope staff in the stores she targeted feel safer now she’s been banned from entering them and in the knowledge that, if she breaches her criminal behaviour order, she could be jailed. And I also hope Samuels takes the opportunity the court gave her to get treatment for her addiction and, thus, remove the root cause of her offending behaviour.”

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As well as the two-year criminal behaviour order, magistrates also imposed an 18-month community order, with requirements to undertake a six-month drug rehabilitation programme and 30 days of rehabilitation activity and to be electronically monitored until April 22 this year.

Samuels was also ordered to pay a total of £1,042 compensation to BP and £36 to the Co-op while the court made another order for the forfeiture and destruction of the drugs.

An Essex Police spokesman added: "Criminal behaviour orders are designed to tackle the most serious and persistent anti-social individuals where their behaviour has brought them before a criminal court.

"CBOs also tackle the underlying causes of offending and, where appropriate, require offenders to engage in treatment services, such as drug and alcohol addiction support. It is an offence to breach the terms of a CBO and courts can impose a jail term or a fine, or both, for an adult convicted of breaching them."