A shoplifter who stole from Brighton stores on a daily basis despite being banned from going into any of them has been jailed.
Darryl Swan, 35, was given a criminal behaviour order in May last year, forbidding him from going into any shops in the centre of Brighton.
But despite this, he repeatedly breached it, with shop staff telling police he stole from them every day.
Prosecuting at Chichester Crown Court yesterday, Rachel Beckett said: “The defendant is well known in the shops in Brighton centre. One member of staff said he is in here every day.”
The spate of thefts and breaches of the order he was before the court charged with this week all happened in Brighton and Hove between 27 November and 21 December last year.
He stole from Waitrose in Western Road, Blatchington Road and Church Road Co-Ops, and Holland and Barratt in North Street, and entered Waterstones in North Street.
On 19 December, he spat at Fraser Cannings, a member of staff at Waitrose, as he escorted him out of the store.
Defending, Josie Sonessa said although her client had a long criminal record, there had been a ten-year period when he had managed to sort his life out and not offend, before being drawn back into using class A drugs.
She said: “He is terribly sorry – he did not mean to spit at the victim. This is not how he would normally respond.
“This is not someone who habitually seeks to assault those who detain him.
“He is someone who is susceptible to being exploited in many respects.
Sentencing, Judge Stuart Trimmer said: “I have not reached the point where I can say if I relase you, you won’t do the same thing again.
“I would much prefer to do something else. Although I could take a risk on you and release you, you would be back again in short order.”
Swann, who until his arrest in December was living in a hostel in Oriental Place, was given 12 months in prison.
Will be released homeless no doubt, the same repeated sequel,
Don’t release him at all. Problem solved.
Will be sponging off the tax payer in prison. This dude will be a problem where ever he goes.
About time the law did something about shoplifters
How much do stocks cost?
Store them in shipping containers, 1st time 30 days,, 2nd 60 days,, 3rd 120 days,, and just keep doubling up, I think somewhere at 240 – 480 days they might take the hint, your s**t your problem, by shipping containers I mean the type that are converted to 1 pers accommodation, good enough for Military and Construction workers so must be ok, all self contained, just add food once per day, no tv no internet, 1 visit per week, low cost just need any space also underground is OK, nothing inhumane about it in comparison to the misery and loss these clowns cause.
If prison is so expensive, clearly to expensive to remove the 100 or so regular junkie thiefs that plague the city. Why not make them carry out work in prison, like road digging or farm labour, they have food and rent deductions and keep 5% only to be paid upon passing parol. 10 hours a day ect ect. It might actually help them in the long run get off the drugs and have some motivation to sort them selves out rather than slinging them in a cell for a year and putting them right back where they were, ready to re offend and waste police time
Oriental place needs demolition. It’s always been a dump and full of these types.