Prolific Bournemouth shoplifter jailed
A prolific shoplifter who stole over £7,500-worth of items from shops in Bournemouth has been jailed following the latest work by officers as part of Op Shopkeeper.
Artur Chochel, aged 34 and of Milton Road in Bournemouth, was sentenced at Bournemouth Crown Court on Monday 12 August 2024 to two years and three months in prison.
Chochel was also handed a restraining order that prohibits him from entering Co-op stores in Cranleigh Road and Charminster Road, as well as One Stop in Ripon Road for a period of five years.
He previously appeared at Poole Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday 28 May 2024 and pleaded guilty to 45 counts of theft from a shop, as well as 22 counts of breaching a restraining order.
The theft incidents occurred between Monday 11 December 2023 and Sunday 25 February 2024 at Co-op in Charminster Road, One Stop in Ripon Road and Sainsbury’s in Wimborne Road.
In total, Chochel stole items totalling approximately £7,775.
An investigation was carried out into the incidents by the Investigation Resolution Centre Retail Team using intelligence, offender behaviour patterns and CCTV footage, which meant that Chochel was identified as the culprit.
Chief Inspector Alyssa Forrest, of Dorset Police, said: “This case reflects the determination of the Retail Team to bring prolific offenders such as Chochel to justice and provide reassurance to retailers and the wider community.
“I am pleased that Chochel is now behind bars and facing the consequences for his actions. He was stealing from shops on an almost daily basis, resulting in a significant loss for the businesses involved.
“The investigation into this defendant was part of further Op Shopkeeper work, which is an ongoing effort to identify prolific shoplifters and take robust action against them to create a hostile environment for offending.
“We have recently secured other convictions as part of Op Shopkeeper and will continue to do all we can to prevent further harm to the business community.
“As part of this work, court orders have been obtained that prohibit the defendants from entering the shops where they have previously caused significant harm. If they breach these orders, they can be brought back before the court.
“We will continue to work closely with Community Safety partners and the Business Improvement Districts to identify prolific shoplifters and theft hotspots to help reduce the cost and blight of theft on our communities.”
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