Prolific Bournemouth shoplifter jailed for more than two years
34 year Artur Chochel stole £7,500 worth of items in three months
A prolific shoplifter from Bournemouth, who stole over £7,500-worth of items from local shops, has been jailed for two years and three months.
3\4 year old Artur Chochel from Milton Road has been sentenced at Bournemouth Crown Court.
He's also been handed a restraining order, banning him from Co-op stores in Cranleigh Road and Charminster Road, as well as One Stop in Ripon Road for five years.
Chochel previously admitted 45 counts of theft, and 22 counts of breaching a restraining order.
The shoplifting happened between Monday 11th December 2023 and Sunday 25th February 2024 at Co-op in Charminster Road, One Stop in Ripon Road and Sainsbury’s in Wimborne Road.
The items taken totalled £7,775.
Chief Inspector Alyssa Forrest, of Dorset Police, said:
“This case reflects the determination of the Retail Team to bring prolific offenders such as Chochel to justice and provide reassurance to retailers and the wider community.
“I am pleased that Chochel is now behind bars and facing the consequences for his actions. He was stealing from shops on an almost daily basis, resulting in a significant loss for the businesses involved.
“The investigation into this defendant was part of further Op Shopkeeper work, which is an ongoing effort to identify prolific shoplifters and take robust action against them to create a hostile environment for offending.
“We have recently secured other convictions as part of Op Shopkeeper and will continue to do all we can to prevent further harm to the business community.
“As part of this work, court orders have been obtained that prohibit the defendants from entering the shops where they have previously caused significant harm. If they breach these orders, they can be brought back before the court.
“We will continue to work closely with Community Safety partners and the Business Improvement Districts to identify prolific shoplifters and theft hotspots to help reduce the cost and blight of theft on our communities.”