Man pleads guilty to 29 shoplifting thefts where nearly £6,000 of items stolen in huge Portsmouth spree

Glen Matthew Isham, 45, of no fixed address, was sentenced at Portsmouth Crown Court last Friday (December 1). He also pleaded guilty to possession of a Class A drug.

Isham took part in a huge shoplifting spree across the city. Nearly £6,000 worth of items – including meat, pet food, chocolate, laundry detergent and other goods – were stolen from various shops between July 7 and September 26.

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One of the stores targeted was the Co-Op in New Road, Fratton. Chief Inspector Paul Markham said targeting shoplifters is a priority for the district to clamp down on repeat offenders.

He added: “The city centre team and the wider Portsmouth district policing teams will continue to work hard to make Portsmouth a safer place for residents, visitors and businesses. Please continue to report shoplifting incidents to us, as they help us build a stronger case against prolific offenders.

"Business owners and shop staff should not have to come to work and face criminal behaviour. We’ve worked closely with the local Co-Op stores on this case to secure CCTV and statements that have assisted in securing this result at court.” Isham will serve 34 weeks and four days in prison.

Huge spike in city shoplifting offences

According to data from Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary. reported incidents of shoplifting between April and September have doubled since last year. Statistics from the Co-op states there was a 24 per cent overall increase in shoplifting in England and Wales over the past 12 months.

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Southern Co-op has joined the British Retail Consortium alongside 87 other retailers in signing a letter addressed to the government calling for more action. Gareth Lewis, loss prevention and security manager at Southern Co-op, said: “This is another great example of the ongoing collaborative work between Southern Co-op, UK Partners Against Crime and our Hampshire Police partners.

"We would like to thank Chief Inspector Markham and his team for their hard work and support in bringing this prolific offender before the courts. At a time when there is significant pressure on policing to tackle retail crime, this shows what can be achieved through the right collaborative approach.

“We all have to play our part.”