Man jailed for more than eight months for shoplifting offences in Portsmouth

A 45 year-old man has been jailed for more than eight months after shoplifting from convenience stores in Portsmouth

On Friday 1 December Glen Matthew Isham of no fixed address was sentenced at Portsmouth Crown Court after he admitted 29 different shoplifting offences and possession of a Class A drug.

He will serve a total of 34 weeks and 4 days in prison.

Isham stole meat, pet food, chocolate, and other items like laundry detergent with a combined total of nearly £6,000 from convenience stores in the city, including the Co-Op on New Road, between 7 July and 26 September.

Targeting shoplifters is a priority for the district, and police will be relentlessly be pursuing those that are violent to staff or are repeat offenders.

Police have a city centre team dedicated to catching these offenders and are working with businesses including the Co-Op across the city to target shoplifters.

Chief Inspector Paul Markham said: “The city centre team and the wider Portsmouth District Policing Teams will continue to work hard to make Portsmouth a safer place for residents, visitors and businesses.

Please continue to report shoplifting incidents to us, as they help us build a stronger case against prolific offenders.

“Business owners and shop staff should not have to come to work and face criminal behaviour.

We’ve worked closely with the local Co-Op stores on this case to secure CCTV and statements that have assisted in securing this result at court.

“We hope that this sends a clear message to any shoplifters out there: continue to steal and you will end up in court.

”Gareth Lewis, Loss Prevention and Security Manager at Southern Co-op said; “This is another great example of the ongoing collaborative work between Southern Co-op, UK Partners Against Crime and our Hampshire Police partners.

We would like to thank Chief Inspector Markham and his team for their hard work and support in bringing this prolific offender before the courts.

“At a time when there is significant pressure on policing to tackle retail crime, this shows what can be achieved through the right collaborative approach.

We all have to play our part.”To help protect your business:Make sure staff are able to use any appropriate security equipment such as panic alarms.

Make sure CCTV cameras are in good working order, the position provides the best possible coverage and they are serviced annually.

Remind staff to report any suspicious activity to the manager or the police. Details should also be recorded and include: date, time, description of person.

The community are our eyes and ears and we encourage you to report all incidents as soon as you are able to by calling 101 if it’s not an emergency.

You can also report suspicious activity online by visiting our website: https://www.hampshire.police.ukIf a crime is in progress, always call 999.