Man jailed for more than seven months after offending spree in Southampton

A man has been sentenced to more than seven months in jail after being found guilty of a number of incidents across Southampton.

Andrew Botting, 46, of St. James Close, Southampton appeared at Southampton Magistrates’ Court on Monday 1 June to face charges of possession of an offensive weapon and multiple thefts from a shop.

Southampton Magistrates’ Court heard how Andrew Botting had gone on a spree of offending over a three-week period in April earlier this year, where he committed a number of shoplifting offences between Saturday 6 April and Tuesday 23 April.

Two incidents occurred on the same day – Saturday 6 April – whereby over £500 worth of dog-related items was stolen from a Pets at Home store on Winchester Road.

In another incident, Botting was seen by staff members at Tesco on Tebourba Way on Saturday 13 April to be exiting the premises via a rear fire-door with 12 bottles of Smirnoff vodka and four bottles of Jack Daniel’s whiskey totalling a cost of £428.

While, he was seen to threaten a security guard during a separate incident at the same Tesco store on Tuesday 23 April, having attempted to leave the store without making payment in possession of a number of vodka bottles.

A warrant for Botting’s arrest had been executed after he had failed to attend court following the issuing of a postal requisition in relation to the shoplifting offences he had committed.

On Sunday 30 June, local officers who were patrolling in Shirley spotted Andrew Botting at around 5.40pm on Shirley Road and detained him for his failure to attend court. During a search, officers discovered a ‘baton-like’ weapon in his possession.

He was later subsequently charged with possessing an offensive weapon in a public place.

Appearing at Southampton Magistrates’ Court, Botting was jailed for six and a half months for the offensive weapon offence and an additional four weeks in relation to the various shoplifting offences. These sentences will be served concurrently.

The officer in charge of the investigation, Police Constable Ryan Comerford, said: “A prolific offender has now been taken off the streets of Southampton following Bottting’s conviction at Southampton Magistrates’ Court.

“I am sure that the result will be reassuring to the local businesses of whom Botting has regularly targeted during his offending spree. They can take comfort that he will not be in a position to cause them harm or financial loss through his actions for the foreseeable future.

"The local community is now a safer place with him behind bars.”