Jonathan Laws imprisoned for 11 months on seven counts of shoplifting

On 6 February, Jonathan Laws (42 of no fixed abode) was sentenced to 11 months in prison after seven counts of shoplifting.

Laws is also required to pay compensation of £205.

On 21 January 2024, Laws was identified after entering a shop on Kem Street in Nuneaton by a member of staff who recognised his face from previous police media releases.

On this occasion, Laws had taken meat products to the value of £14 and concealed them in a bag before trying to leave without paying.

The member of staff confronted Laws, who returned the items and left.

On 3 February, he entered a shop in Newton Retail Park in Nuneaton, where he put a quantity of washing detergent and other cleaning products into a bag before trying to leave.

Again, Laws was recognised by a member of staff as a prolific shoplifter and was challenged on trying to leave.

Although the staff member attempted to take hold of the bag, spilling the contents, Laws picked up the items and walked away from the store.

Laws was also sentenced for five other charges of theft that took place in October and November of last year.

One of those charges from 7 October was concerning Laws’ theft of £37 worth of groceries from the Kem Street store.

The other four charges (which took place on four separate occasions between 13 and 27 November) were all thefts of fragrance sets from a shop on Market Place in Nuneaton.

A total of 12 fragrance sets were taken, with a value of £168 all-in-all.

Laws was sentenced in Coventry Magistrates Court on 6 February.

His sentence took into account a previous suspended sentence, also given for charges related to shoplifting.

Town Centre Officer PC Shorthouse said “Laws has been given a prison sentence for shoplifting, which is not an action taken lightly or used for first-time offences.

“We have had frequent contact with Laws, who has reached the point where local businesses recognise him as soon as he walks through the door and let us know soon afterwards.

“There’s clearly no future for Laws (or anyone else, really) in shoplifting, and we hope that after 11 months of prison life he’ll be ready to get into contact with support services and take better control of his life.”