Prolific shoplifter and beggar prosecuted
He appeared in court this week
A prolific shoplifter and beggar has been put before the courts after making life a misery for shoppers and business owners.
Leigham Myers was responsible for a series of thefts which took place at stores across the Clifton area during November and December last year.
Members of the public also complained about 34-year-old Myers persistently begging at businesses in Clifton Lane, Clifton.
Myers admitted 14 shop thefts and six counts of begging when he appeared at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court on Thursday (5 January 2023).
Police Constable Jane Gibson, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “Shoplifting can be a serious blight on communities and will never be tolerated by Nottinghamshire Police.
“We work hard with our partners and local businesses to prevent this type of offending in the first place and crack down on the small number of individuals like Myers who are responsible for a disproportionate number of shop thefts.”
Myers, of Wilkins Gardens, Clifton, was sentenced to 16 weeks’ jail suspended for 12 months and ordered to complete a drugs rehabilitation course by magistrates.
Inspector Karl Thomas, neighbourhood policing inspector for Nottingham South, said: “We are really pleased as a neighbourhood team to have responded to repeated concerns from members of the public and local businesses in Clifton about this individual.
“Some people might think begging and shoplifting aren’t serious but in reality they impact on the whole community. Shop owners are left out of pocket by repeated thefts and have to spend more money on security measures.
“Antisocial behaviour and begging can also have a detrimental effect on a neighbourhood and can stop people visiting and spending their money there.
“We want Clifton to be the best it can be as a place to live and work. Police teams in the community work hard every day to ensure that continues to be the case.”