Two prolific shoplifters who stole almost £20,000 worth of goods have been sentenced after being caught with stolen items in their car.
Thomas McDonagh, 21, of Warren Crescent, Headington, Oxford, was jailed for 16 months after admitting to eight counts of theft across Essex in December 2024 and January 2025. His accomplice, Martin Stokes, 23, of Aylesbury Street, Bletchley, Buckinghamshire, received a 16-week jail term, suspended for 18 months, and must complete 80 hours of unpaid work.
The duo were stopped by police on 19 January while driving on the A12. Officers had linked them to multiple thefts from Boots and Next in the Stane Park retail area in Stanway, Colchester.
Upon stopping their Ford Focus, police found the boot packed with stolen goods, swiftly connecting them to 11 separate shoplifting incidents across the county, including in Chelmer Village, Chelmsford.
One of the men had been using a jacket with a specially adapted lining to conceal stolen items while exiting stores.
As part of his sentencing at Chelmsford Crown Court on 27 February, he was also handed a five-year criminal behaviour order (CBO), banning him from any Next store in England and Wales and all Boots shops in Essex. The order also prohibits him from carrying any coat or overgarment designed to aid shoplifting or from possessing tools like de-tagging implements.
“The value of goods taken by these two men is significant and this investigation shows that we will always look to bring all offending together as we build the strongest possible cases to put people before the courts,” Sgt Dominic Potts, of Colchester local policing team, said.
“In McDonagh’s case, we’ve also secured a five-year criminal order, which means that when he is released from prison, if he continues to go to these shops, he’ll be breaching that order and could be sent back to prison.
“No business should have to put up with persistent offenders targeting them and we work determinedly across the county to identify the people causing the most harm to businesses, to catch them and ultimately put them before the courts.”
The sentencing comes amid increasing concerns from retailers over organised shoplifting operations, which have been on the rise in recent months.
The 2025 Crime Report of the Association of Convenience Stores (ACS), published on Monday revealed record level of theft committed against convenience store retailers, with an estimated 6.2 million incidents of shop theft over the past year, compared to 5.6 million in the previous year.
