Shoplifter banned from every Co-op store targets Kent branch
A shoplifter banned from entering every Co-op store in Kent has been jailed after repeatedly targeting a branch in Dartford. Jamie Hopkins, 40, was subject to a three-year court order issued in February 2023 that stopped him from going into multiple retail outlets in Dartford without permission from store staff.
He was further prohibited from going into any Co-op in the county unless the manager approved. In spite of this, Hopkins brazenly stole food and confectionery items from the Co-op in Oldfield Place, Dartford, on three occasions between January 1 and 11.
Officers arrested Hopkins on January 13 and he was charged the same day with theft and breach of a Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO). Hopkins pleaded guilty before Margate Magistrates’ Court on January 21 and was sentenced to nine months in prison.
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Inspector Lee Cheesman said: "The CBO to which Hopkins is subject is in place to protect local businesses and the community. Now that Hopkins is behind bars, I hope it serves to remind would-be thieves that we take shoplifting very seriously and will always strive to bring them before the courts to face justice."