Prolific shoplifter made subject of Criminal Behaviour Order

A prolific thief with a taste for prosecco has been banned from all Sainsburys and Co-op stores in County Durham.

Katie Bartley was arrested following a string of thefts from stores around the county, mainly making off with bottles of prosecco, laundry items, meat and coffee.

The 30-year-old, of Seaham, was charged with 25 counts of theft after extensive work from the Neighbourhood Policing Teams.

Officers trawled through hours of CCTV and conducted lengthy enquiries to be able to prepare a strong file for the Crown Prosecution Service and get Bartley put before the court.

Bartley was remanded and appeared at Newton Aycliffe Magistrates today (March 26) where she pleaded guilty of all offences.

She was handed a 26-week prison sentence, suspended for a year, as well as being ordered to pay compensation.

However, Bartley was also made subject to a Criminal Behaviour Order meaning she now has strict conditions she has to abide by for two years.

As part of the order, Bartley is banned from all Sainsburys and Co-op stores in County Durham, banned from entering any store where has been barred from, must immediately leave any retail store when asked to do so and cannot enter any store in the company of a specific man.

Sergeant Kevin Hall, of Durham City Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: “Bartley is a prolific shoplifter who never seems to learn her lesson.

“Her offending seriously harms our communities and officers worked tirelessly to build a strong case to put her in front of magistrates, something we will continue to do as part of our commitment to the policing pledge to create safer town centres.

“We will never stop targeting shoplifters who bring harm to our communities with their offending and will be keeping a close eye on Bartley who joins a cohort of repeat offenders who now have strict conditions. These will be policed with zero tolerance and we would encourage anyone who sees her breaking any of her conditions to report it straight away.”