Two Fareham men jailed for offences in the east of the county

We have a couple of positive updates for you from the courts this morning (Tuesday 18 February).

First up, James Vincent Durber, aged 35 years, of no fixed abode, was jailed today after committing theft offences in Fareham.

He was charged over the weekend in relation to the following incidents:

• Electric bicycle stolen from West Street between 10.40pm and 11.40pm on 6 January.
• Shoplifting, at around 7pm on 30 January, in Homebase on Newgate Lane. Approximately £160 worth of tools were reported stolen.
• Shoplifting, at around 11.30am on 11 February, in Boots in Fareham’s Westbury Mall. Aftershave was reported stolen.

Durber had previously been given a Conditional Discharge on 20 January for three earlier shoplifting offences at Westbury Mall in November 2019. Durber breached this by committing the most recent offences.

He appeared at Portsmouth Magistrates’ Court today where he was jailed for 24 weeks and ordered to pay £200 in compensation for the stolen bike.

Next up, Robert Andrew Parker, aged 35 years, of Gosport Road in Fareham, was also jailed for 24 weeks today at the same court.

This is in relation to the following, to which he pleaded guilty:

• The theft of a wallet from a bus in Fareham which took place on 5 November 2019.
• The theft of meat from Waitrose on Marmion Road, Southsea, on 21 November 2019.
• A burglary at the Dockyard Club in Onslow Road, Southsea, on 21 November 2019 in which money was stolen from the till.
• Theft of alcohol from ASDA in Dock Road, Gosport, on 16 and 17 February this year.
• Theft of alcohol from Morrisons in Walpole Road, Gosport, on 17 February.

Parker had previously denied the November offences, but changed his plea this morning. He had also been subject to a conditional discharge from 29 January this year for possession of cannabis, which he breached by committing the offences this month.