Prolific shoplifter in Greenwich sentenced for almost 100 offences

Local teams within the Met have worked tirelessly to bring a prolific shoplifter to justice for stealing more than £14,100 worth of goods.

Martin Jackson (20.09.83) of Frobisher Road, Erith, was sentenced to three and a half years in prison at Woolwich Crown Court on Thursday, 19 September for 98 offences, including theft and breaches of a restraining order.

Jackson has also had a restraining order updated, meaning he’s banned for five years from entering a Boots store and BP service station on Trafalgar Road, Greenwich, from which he stole thousands of pounds worth of goods.

He was previously handed a Criminal Behaviour Order with conditions including not to enter those two stores. However, he continued to visit the shops and steal food, alcohol, toiletries and other goods.

Officers scoured hours of CCTV after Jackson was arrested and charged back in July, and built a significant evidence package which showed him brazenly stealing in broad daylight.

The weight of their evidence led to Jackson’s guilty plea to all offences in court on Monday, 2 September.

Acting Superintendent, Rav Pathania, who oversees neighbourhood policing in Greenwich, said: “At the heart of our plan for London is focusing on the things that our communities, including our business communities, are most concerned about. Over the course of many months Jackson caused misery to businesses in Greenwich, that’s why we have been determined to get him off our streets and put behind bars.

“We’ve worked hard to build closer relationships with businesses in our area, and build their confidence in our ability to tackle their concerns. I hope this goes some way in demonstrating we are listening and taking action on local issues.

“I’m grateful to the support BP and Boots in particular provided to this investigation, which was central to us achieving justice for Jackson’s crimes.”

Iona Blake, Europe mobility & convenience security manager, BP, said: “Safety comes first at BP, always. Nothing is more important. We want our colleagues to feel safe at work and our customers to have a great experience when visiting us. This is another great example of how collaboration can help us – and the sector - combat crime at our stores.”

As part of the New Met for London strategy, officers are taking a precise and proactive community –first approach to tackling local crime and anti-social behaviour.

More information on how to spot and report a shoplifter is available on the Met website. Meanwhile, Shopwatch is a community-based crime prevention scheme that promotes communication between retailers and local police to reduce crime.