Prolific board game shoplifter sentenced following Met Police investigation

A prolific shoplifter who stole more than £3,000 worth of board games, books and toys from a shop in Haringey has been convicted following a Met Police investigation.

Paul Mangal, 58 (30.03.67), of Hornsey Rise Gardens in Haringey, repeatedly targeted a Waterstones store on The Broadway in Crouch End between April 2023 and February this year.

He appeared at Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, 29 April, where he was sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment, suspended for two years.

He was also issued with conditions not to enter Crouch End or Hornsey for two years, and is banned from being in possession of a suitcase in these areas.

In September last year, officers from the local policing team in north London increased patrols in The Broadway, regularly visiting staff and security teams at large retailers and independent shops.

It was through these relationships they were made aware of Mangal, with staff at Waterstones informing officers of the many thefts he was committing.

Working with the store, officers carried out a month-long operation throughout January to gather CCTV footage and other evidence to identify Mangal.

The officers were alerted by staff on Sunday, 23 February, when he’d again entered the store and made off with several items in a suitcase.

He was arrested a short distance from his home in Hornsey and charged the following day.

He appeared at Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court on Monday, 24 February, where he pleaded guilty to a total of 23 charges of theft and was bailed.

Sergeant James Elliott, of the local policing team in north London, who led the investigation, said:

“We’ve recognised that shoplifting is something local people and businesses in Haringey are concerned about, and we are stepping up our efforts to tackle it.

“Through building strong relationships with staff at this branch of Waterstones, we were able to identify Mangal by assessing his patterns of offending, which appeared to ramp up before, during and immediately after Christmas, then almost daily up until his arrest.

“Sadly, we know some businesses on The Broadway are being targeted so often, many have stopped reporting thefts to police, so I hope the success of this case will encourage more to work closely with us so we can remove the most prolific shoplifters from our streets.”

As well as relationship building and doubling the number of officers on the ward since February, Sergeant Elliott and his team are visiting retailers daily to offer reassurance and ensure they feel more confident when it comes to reporting incidents.

Through these proactive measures, the number of thefts in the area has reduced by 35 per cent since December last year.

There are now plans to introduce Live Facial Recognition (LFR) patrols to identify offenders, and during the summer months, officers will be out on bicycles so they’re able to react quicker to shoplifting incidents when they occur.