Yahoo News 'Professional shoplifter' has more than 170 criminal offences on his record
A career criminal with more than 170 offences on his record was stopped by police as he drove home from his latest "shoplifting expedition" in west Wales, a court has heard. When officers stopped Michael Maughan's vehicle they found the alcohol and tobacco he had just stolen from two Co-op stores.
Swansea Crown Court heard that Maughan - who also goes by several aliases - has 22 previous shoplifting offences on his record along with 44 non-dwelling or commercial burglaries from around the UK. Sending the father-of-five to prison, a judge described him as "a professional criminal - a professional burglar and a professional shoplifter".
Brian Simpson, prosecuting, said Maughan stole bottles of spirits worth around £1,400 and tobacco worth around £400 from Co-op shops in Lampeter, Whitland, and St Clears in a series of thefts between November 2023 and February this year. Police stopped the defendant after his last theft on February 27 as he was driving eastbound on the A48 near the M4 Pont Abraham services.
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The defendant refused to give his name or allow his fingerprints to be scanned on the officer's mobile device. The court heard inside the vehicle were bottles of spirits and pouches of tobacco which the 41-year-old had stolen earlier that day. In interview the following day the defendant was shown CCTV clips of the shoplifting incidents but denied the person caught on camera was him and said he had never even been to Lampeter or Whitland.
Michael Paul Maughan, of Pant-y-Blawd Road, Swansea Enterprise Park, Swansea - who also has addresses at Grenfell Avenue, Gorseinon, and Campsie Court in Sinfin, Derby - had previously pleaded guilty to three counts of theft when he appeared in the dock for sentencing. He had also asked for another count of shoplifting to be taken into consideration. Maughan has 43 previous convictions for 172 offences across the UK from Scotland to Somerset and Wales including 22 of shoplifting and 44 of non-dwelling or commercial burglaries. Maughan's other offences include dangerous driving, driving while disqualified, going equipped, and two house burglaries.
Huw Davies, for Maughan, said the defendant had been taken into the care system at the age of nine despite his aunts and uncles wanting to look after him, and had thereafter lived with foster parents until the age of 16. He said prior to his arrest and remand the father-of-five had been living at the Travellers site in Llansamlet and working as a scrap dealer, tarmac layer, and gardener. The barrister said it was accepted Maughan had an "unenviable record" including for shoplifting offences, adding: "His wife has indicated to him he has to stop this".
Judge Paul Thomas KC said Maughan had driven to west Wales on multiple occasions on "shoplifting expeditions" and he described his behaviour as "cynical and brazen". Noting the defendant has convictions for more than 170 offences from Scotland to Somerset over the last three decades, he told him "It is quite clear to me you are a professional criminal - a professional burglar and a professional shoplifter". With a one-quarter discount for his guilty pleas Maughan was sentenced to nine months in prison - he will serve up to half that sentence in custody before being released on licence to serve the remainder in the community. The defendant was disqualified from driving for 10-and-a-half months. For the latest court reports, sign up to our crime newsletter here
Dyfed-Powys Police does not release custody photographs for defendants sentenced to less than 12 months
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