Man jailed for shoplifting after persistently targeting Boots in Portsmouth city centre

Simon Marcus Freeman, of no fixed address, has been sentenced to 24 weeks in prison after persistently stealing from Boots. The 36-year-old admitted four thefts in Commercial Road after appearing at Portsmouth Magistrates’ Court on November 25.

The thefts took place between 27 September and 23 October. Portsmouth Police reported on Facebook: “He was jailed for twelve weeks for the thefts and was jailed for an additional 12 weeks after a suspended sentence was activated.

“Our city centre unit is working with retailers in Commercial Road, Southsea, Gunwharf and other areas to tackle prolific and repeat offenders to support our local business community. We will not tolerate this kind of offending and will work hard to ensure that shoplifters face their day in court wherever possible. To do this we encourage local shops to continue to report incidents to us so that we can take robust action.”

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UKPAC (UK Partners Against Crime) is an app that was launched and designed to target shoplifters. It has already led to 66 thieves being convicted, with over 45 years of custodial sentences secured. The app is also being expanded to cover pubs and clubs to report incidents and allows for information on barred customers and prolific trouble makers to be shared.

The UKPAC app allows shops and venues to highlight crimes and known offenders to each other and to police. The officers receive case files and linked offender intelligence.

Police and Crime Commissioner Donna Jones previously told The News: “This is about tackling shoplifting and making communities safer. It is about getting criminals before the courts and getting them sentenced quickly. We are now seeing a massive increase in people being charged and taken to court and convicted for these offences.”