Thief tried to steal entire tray of butter from Sherwood supermarket before it all went wrong

A shoplifter was caught filling a bag with packs of butter after he entered a supermarket in Sherwood. After entering the Co-op on Mansfield Road, Sherwood on Monday, May 13, Lee Boylan went to the fridges and started to empty a tray full of butter into his bag.

A store security guard watched from nearby as the 46-year-old, who was already well-known to shop staff and police, got to work. Boylan, of no fixed address, had previously targeted the store on April 16, May 2 and May 11.

During those thefts, he helped himself to cheese, coffee, and chocolate from the shelves. This final theft attempt at the Co-op was unsuccessful as he was stopped by a security guard who then called the police.

In the weeks prior to this Boylan had also stolen items from the Sainsbury’s on Mansfield Road four times, these incidents were on May 5, May 7, May 11 and May 12. Due to this shops were warned to watch out for him.

After his arrest, Boylan appeared at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, May 14. He pleaded guilty to eight separate counts of theft and was handed a 12-week prison sentence.

He was also ordered to pay around £240 in charges and costs. PC Aiden Cook, of Nottinghamshire Police’s Sherwood neighbourhood policing team, said: “Boylan has been on our team’s radar for a few weeks now, after targeting the same two shops on the high street.

“While the items he has been stealing might not add up to huge amounts of money, the relentless nature of this type of offending can have big ramifications for stores and the local community. Nobody wants to see thieves operating in their area, while the actions of shoplifters can ultimately lead to residents having to foot the costs when stores hike prices on items."