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A 'notorious' thief who plagued the UK's worst town for shoplifting has pleaded guilty to stealing from Co-Op, Asda and B&M. Amy Jones was given a Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO) on December 15, 2023, in a bid to prevent further offending. But she ignored the prohibitions and continued to steal items including meat, sweets and alcohol.
The 32-year-old of Byron Road, Worthing targeted Co-Op in Tarring Road, Worthing; Co-Op in Rowlands Road, Worthing; Co-Op in North Road, Lancing; Asda in South Street, Lancing; and B&M in the Guildbourne Centre, Worthing. Jones was arrested and charged with 10 counts of theft and 10 counts of breach of her CBO between January 5 and February 14. At Crawley Magistrates’ Court, on February 17, she pleaded guilty to all offences.
READ MORE: 'Disgusting' homophobic attack at Brighton's Legends bar The 32-year-old was remanded in custody for sentencing on March 17 at Lewes Crown Court. This comes as Worthing was named the UK's worst area for shoplifting , according to a study based on data from the Office for National Statistics. Detective Sergeant Colin O’Hare, of the Worthing response investigation team, said: “Jones is a notorious shoplifter in the Adur and Worthing district.
We applied for a Criminal Behaviour Order against her, not only to curb her offending, but also to protect the local business community. “We recognise the impact offences of this nature can have on retailers, and this case demonstrates the successful outcomes that can be achieved through early reporting. Reporting enables us to gather information and intelligence, and prepare a case for the Crown Prosecution Service to prosecute offenders.
“Our battle against business crime is ongoing and I would urge all retailers to continue to report incidents to us.”.
