A PROLIFIC shoplifter who "verbally threatened" and scared staff has been jailed and banned from entering a series of shops for five years.

James Butcher, of Southend Road, Rochford, has been jailed for a total of 32 weeks and banned from certain stores in Southend and Westcliff after stealing more than £900 of food.

The 32-year-old admitted committing 30 thefts from shops across the city since last August - ten while on court bail.

He was initially arrested on January 16 and charged with 20 thefts from shops and one count of assault by beating.

He was bailed by Southend Magistrates' Court on January 18 but failed to attend his next hearing and a warrant was issued for his arrest.

Southend police officers arrested him again on February 27.  

By this time, he had committed another ten shop thefts, Southend Magistrates were told on March 1.

PC Alex Plakhtienko, of the Business Crime Team, said after the case that Butcher had repeatedly targeted a number of shops in Southend and Westcliff, intimidating staff by his behaviour.

He said: “He is a persistent offender and, despite being arrested and bailed by magistrates in January, the very next day Butcher stole 20 meat steaks.

“Staff members in the shops he stole from were frightened by his behaviour and some were verbally threatened. One employee was pushed aside when he tried to stop Butcher leave a store with goods he hadn’t paid for.

“I hope the fact that, as well as jailing him, magistrates saw fit to issue Butcher with a five-year criminal behaviour order which forbids him from entering eight shops in the area, will allow staff in those stores to feel safe when he is released from prison.”

As well as being jailed, Butcher was issued with a five-year criminal behaviour order banning him from entering eight shops in Southend and Westcliff:

  • BP Petrol Station in West Street
  • Farm Foods stores on Greyhound Retail Park and in Eastern Avenue
  • Iceland and Lidl stores on Greyhound Retail Park
  • Waitrose in Fossett’s Way, Eastern Avenue
  • Co-Op and Sainsbury’s stores in Hamlet Court Road, Westcliff

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Butcher was also ordered to pay £919.85 in compensation and a £128 victim surcharge.

The court heard Butcher had stolen wine, Prosecco, vodka, gin and brandy, chicken, cheese and biscuits from various shops between August 19 2022 and January 16 2023.

During one incident in Waitrose on January 9, he pushed aside an employee as he left the store with three bottles of alcohol valued at £93.50.

Between his first and second arrests, Butcher committed ten further offences, stealing meat steaks, bags of prawns and wine.