A prolific 45-year-old shoplifter has seen a suspended custodial sentence boosted to actual prison time by magistrates, after pleading guilty to four further retail crime offences.
Andrew Pettit, of Northampton, was initially handed 47-weeks’ imprisonment - suspended for 12 months - at the town’s magistrates court on 15 October, 2025.
Pettit received the suspended sentence and was ordered to pay £1,572 in compensation after admitting to more than 30 thefts from Northampton shops between 6 April and 12 October last year.
Despite being given the opportunity from the courts to turn his back on a life of crime, last month Pettit was back at the same court, where he pleaded guilty to a further four offences.
These related to the theft of £200 of alcohol from the Co-op in Birchfield Road East, the One Shop in Stanhope Road and a branch of Tesco in Kingsley Park Terrace, which all took place between 13 October and 10 December.
Pettit was handed one-week custodial sentences for each new offence to run consecutively but, following the activation of his suspended sentence, will serve a total of 51 weeks in prison. He was also ordered to pay £121 in compensation.
Retail Crime Officer, PC Kate Cayton, said: “Sadly, Andrew Pettit’s persistent offending is a result of his dependence on alcohol, and we hope he will be able to take advantage of his time in prison to get the help and support he needs with his addiction.
“The untold stress and misery caused by persistent shoplifters shouldn’t be dismissed lightly, and we will continue to ensure offenders are identified and brought to justice to help make our towns a better place to live and work for everyone.”
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