A prolific shoplifter who stole more than £100,000 worth of goods inside three months has finally been put behind bars. Liam Hutchinson, 32, carried out 99 retail raids where he would stash luxury goods into empty bags or hide them inside his clothing. The brazen thief specialised in stealing electrical items and razors as he targeted retail giant’s Boots outlets across the well-heeled London borough of Chelsea and Kensington.
But after a police probe into one of Britain’s most prolific individual shoplifters, Hutchinson has now been sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment at Westminster Magistrates’ Court after admitting the huge volume of offences committed between May and August. He has also been issued with a Criminal Behaviour Order banning him from every Boots store in the UK for 10 years and is also banned from entering Chelsea and Kensington for the next five years. The measures have been welcomed by retail bosses who are demanding swifter – and tougher police action – to tackle the UK’s £2.2bn shoplifting epidemic.
The Daily Express’ Stop The Shoplifters campaign is urging police forces across the nation to commit to attending all reports of shoplifting incidents to raise visibility and increase prosecution rates.
The Met insists its officers will continue to relentlessly target wanted and prolific offenders through intelligence-led patrols and operations following a summer drive designed to increase police and partner activity, which has so far seen them solve 163% more shoplifting cases across the capital compared to this time last year.
Force chiefs say Hutchinson’s conviction is the result of such extensive work, revealing how officers worked closely with Boots staff at all the stores he targeted, reviewing hundreds of hours of CCTV footage, images and statements to build the strongest possible case of evidence against him.
Sgt Jack Vine, from the Met’s Volume Crime Team in central London, who led the investigation, said: “Hutchinson has been targeting Boots stores across Chelsea and Kensington, costing the business a total of £107,000 in lost revenue.
“We recognised the impact Hutchinson’s actions were having on the retailer, and through working with staff, we built a strong case of evidence against him, which has been reflected in his sentencing.
“This result should act as a warning that this type of behaviour will not be tolerated, and that we will come down hard on those who show a complete disregard for the law, terrorise retail workers and cost businesses thousands of pounds.”
Nicky Harrop, Head of Security, Fraud and Contract Management at Boots, said: “We have been investing significantly in measures that will deter and disrupt criminal activity, stop theft, protect our team members, and support the police with high-quality evidence.
“Tackling the growing levels of retail crime is a collaborative effort, so we’re pleased to work alongside the Metropolitan Police to ensure our stores remain a safe and respectful environment for our team members and customers.”
Chief Inspector, Rav Pathania, the Met’s lead for tackling retail crime, said: “The Met is coming down hard on shoplifters by putting more officers in local teams, increasing patrols and conducting intelligence-led, targeted operations to go after the most prolific offenders.
“Shoplifting is an injustice in our communities and causes fear and loss to retail workers and businesses, and we are more determined than ever to ensure we are gathering more evidence of multiple offences in order to get more convictions and stronger sentences for those responsible.
“This is another shining example of great work by Met officers to achieve this, and through their efforts, we’ve been able to remove another prolific shoplifter from our streets, utilising the power of Community Behaviour Orders to prevent him causing further misery in the local community.”
