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A man has been jailed for a number of offences including shoplifting and assault in Gosport.
Aaron Smethurst, aged 38, of Old Road in Gosport, was charged with the following offences, all of which he pleaded guilty to at Portsmouth Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday 27 February:
Magistrates jailed him for 16 weeks.
Neighbourhood Policing Teams put victims first by responding to and investigating thefts from shops, targeting shoplifters, and we will be relentlessly pursuing those that are abusive or violent to staff or who are repeat offenders.
Chief Inspector Chris Spellerberg, District Commander for Fareham & Gosport, said: “Shoplifting is not a victimless offence. We recognise that repeat shoplifting in particular creates an environment of fear for many retail workers. As a result they may feel unsafe and unprotected in their own workplaces. In addition, store owners losing products to thieves means that they not only lose the profit margin, but the entire value of the product. This in turn will impact prices for consumers.
“The Neighbourhood Policing Teams in Gosport are continuing to focus on retail crime across the borough so that we can address the concerns of the local community and retailers that serve them”.
To help protect your business:
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.uk - If a crime is in progress, always call 999.
Alternatively, you can report suspicious activity or the sale of stolen items by contacting the independent charity Crimestoppers 100% anonymously on 0800 555 111, or via their anonymous online form at www.crimestoppers-uk.org