A WOMAN described by police as a “prolific shoplifter” has been jailed after being caught stealing chocolate bars, clothes and cleaning products.
Nicola Connolly, of no fixed abode, was caught shoplifting in Bedworth Town Centre on March 21.
CCTV captured the 42-year-old at a shop on Mill Street at 2.30pm putting around £54 worth of chocolate bars into a bag and leaving the store without paying.
That footage was passed on to police by the Nuneaton & Bedworth Council CCTV operators.
Later that day, at around 5pm, she was captured again on CCTV at a shop on Leicester Street.
Nicola Connolly has been jailed for shopliftingA PCSO from the Bedworth Safer Neighbourhood Team located Connolly, who was holding a bag filled with stolen items from the Mill Street store.
The bag also contained £131 worth of clothes stolen from a shop on Congreve Walk and £11 worth of hygiene and cleaning products which she had stolen from a third store on Newtown Road.
Connolly was arrested and charged with three counts of theft from a shop.
This week she was sentenvced to eight weeks behind bars following a court hearing.
“Only prolific shoplifters receive prison sentences, and Connolly very much fits that bill,” Warwickshire Police’s Sergeant Spellman said.
“She has reached a point where shopworkers and CCTV operators recognise her on sight, and previous attempts to encourage her to stop stealing from shops have not been successful.”
He added: “We’re hoping that eight weeks serves as an adequate length of time for her to realise that she’s on the wrong path, and to consider seeking support on her release.”
