Four shoplifters sent to jail for between 20 and 34 weeks as crackdown on retail crime continues
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Nathan Atkin, aged 41, Kydi Oberg, aged 30, and Brandon Gilbert,aged 21, have been jailed for 20 weeks, 30 weeks and 34 weeks, respectively, after stealing over £900 worth of goods from stores across Doncaster in the run-up to Christmas.
Glynn Platts, aged 36, has also been jailed for 21 weeks after committing a series of thefts in the Crystal Peaks area of Sheffield in recent weeks.
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Hide AdAtkin, of no fixed abode, was jailed after grabbing two bottles of Baileys from a promotional stand in Sainsbury's in Frenchgate, hiding them under his jacket and walking out of the store without paying for them.
He was caught on CCTV committing the theft and was recognised as a prolific offender, with Atkin pleading guilty to one count of theft at Doncaster Magistrates' Court last Tuesday (12 December) and sentenced on the same day.
Oberg, who is also of no fixed abode, plundered eight bottles of wine from a One Stop in Morley Road, Wheatley, before stealing £83.75 worth of products from Boots in Wheatley Hall Road.
His third theft saw him steal £274 worth of seasonal gifts from the same Boots store and he was arrested on 12 December after being found in possession of a knife.
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Hide AdOberg earned his punishment at Doncaster Magistrates' Court last Thursday (14 December) after admitting three counts of theft and possession of a bladed article.
Gilbert, of Beech Road, Campsall, was jailed on the same day in the same court after taking a random assortment of items from stores across Doncaster.
He stole hats, scarves, cheese, sweets and Christmas gift packs from a One Stop and a petrol station, and even terrorised a member of staff by threatening to squirt bleach on her.
He was charged with assault and five counts of theft, admitting all the offences at court last Thursday.
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Hide AdPlatts, of Raseby Avenue, Waterthorpe, was charged with 20 theft offences committed at Crystal Peaks shopping centre and Drakehouse Retail Park in Sheffield across October, November and early December. Last Wednesday (13 December), he pleaded guilty to all the offences and was jailed.
Dedicated retail crime teams have been launched in Doncaster and Sheffield which have enabled a cohort of officers to focus on targeting prolific shoplifters and building crucial intelligence on their patterns of behaviour.
Chief Inspector David Struggles, who is our force lead for retail crime, said: "We remain committed as a force to tackling retail crime and having dedicated teams of officers targeting prolific offenders has resulted in a number of significant convictions.
"Shoplifters wreak misery on our local communities and their crimes are not victimless. We will not tolerate it here in South Yorkshire and that's why we have stepped up targeted patrols in hotspot areas, including our town and city centres where retail crime is more prevalent.
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Hide Ad"Shop workers should not have to deal with thieves in their day-to-day jobs, particularly during the festive period which is already such a busy time for workers.