Prolific thief jailed for shop thefts in Willenhall

A prolific thief who pleaded guilty to five thefts from shops in Willenhall has been jailed for eight months.

Stuart Arnold, aged 38, of no fixed address, was jailed for 32 weeks and told to pay £384 compensation when he appeared at Wolverhampton Magistrates Court on 9 December.

The offences happened between 30 October and 5 December.

Stuart Arnold

It follows an arrest by Willenhall neighbourhood officer PC Matt Smith on 8 December, on Owen Road, Willenhall.

PC Ricky Duffy, from Willenhall Police, who was in charge of the investigation, said: “Arnold is a prolific offender who was targeting local shops and stores in Willenhall.

“Such offending has a significant impact on our businesses and targeting shop thieves is a priority for us.

“This sentence sends out a clear message to shop thieves that if you commit shop theft crimes, we will arrest you and place you before the courts. Arnold now has to face Christmas behind bars.”

Combatting shop thefts is a priority at Walsall LPA and we launched Op Marigold in a bid to tackle shop thefts across the Walsall borough.

For information about business crime go to  Business crime prevention | West Midlands Police