Michael Hayes, 35, was caught on CCTV grabbing items from the shelf
A serial shoplifter who stole around £4,000 worth of beauty products in the City of London has been sentenced to 22 weeks in prison. Michael Hayes, 35, of no fixed abode, raided the Boots store in Moorgate over a seven week period from May 7 to June 25, stealing beauty and skincare products worth a total of around £4,000.
Hayes first targeted the shop on May 7, pinching 15 tubes of joint and back relief gel with a total worth £173. Hayes went back to the same Boots store the next day on May 8, and made off with around £792 of products, including razor blade cartridges and skincare products.
Hayes pleaded guilty to 10 counts of theft at Boots on Moorgate, and in addition to a 22 week sentence, he was handed a Criminal Behaviour Order, banning him from entering the Square Mile for three years. Hayes has also been banned from entering any Boots store in England and Wales.
Sergeant James Wood, from the City of London Police, said: “We never view shop theft as a low-level crime, we understand the significant negative impact it has on businesses, employees and customers.
“The Proactive Acquisitive Crime Team are committed to doing everything we can to catch criminals, ensuring people who live, work or visit the City are safe and feel safe, and offenders are brought before the courts.
“Haye’s Criminal Behaviour Order will prevent him from further criminality and help protect businesses and members of the public. If he breaks the terms of the CBO, he could face further jail time.”
This week is Safer Business Action Week (SaBA), supported by the National Business Crime Centre and City of London Police Authority Board.
During SaBA week, City of London Police officers have been setting up crime prevention stalls to engage with the public around the Square Mile. Officers have also been visiting businesses, contacting security and management and helping them to prevent crime and protect staff and customers.
Tijs Broeke, Chair of the Police Authority Board, said: “We are committed to making the Square Mile a safe and welcoming place for everyone — and a hostile environment for those who come here to commit crime.”
Safer Business Action Week is a joint approach by police, business, private security, and local consortiums to focus resources into a designated location to create a significant impact on reducing crime. It will form part of the national ‘Tackling Retail Crime Together’ strategic plan launched by the Minister of State for Policing and Crime Prevention in July.
Looking for more from MyLondon? Subscribe to our daily newsletters here for the latest and greatest updates from across London.
