Extra police patrols 'led to prolific shoplifter arrest'

A NEIGHBOURHOOD policing drive to get officers carrying out more high-vis patrols is paying off, with a number of successful results, including jail time for some offenders.

- By CARL EVE

Recent police activity in Devonport has had a focus on shoplifting, police visibility and thorough investigations and last month saw a defendant sent to prison for a series of shoplifting offences.

David Rice, aged 31, of Molesworth Road, was sentenced on 19 February at Plymouth Magistrates Court. He pleaded guilty to three counts of theft from the Co-operative store in Wilton Street on three different occasions.

On the first occasion he stole £78 worth of food items, while on the second he made off with £72.25 worth of food. The third time saw him steal £50 worth of items.

Rice pleaded guilty to all three offences and ordered to pay compensation to the Co-op for each of the items he stole. Magistrates learned that Rice was already wanted for recall to prison as he was already serving a suspended sentence for other matters. As a result, magistrates handed him a 26 week prison sentence for the offences.