Thief who committed nearly 50 shop thefts across Sandwell is jailed

A 33-year-old man has been jailed for 48 shop thefts committed across Sandwell.

Matthew Marsh began his offending spree on February 19 when he targeted a store on Throne Road, Rowley Regis, stealing goods worth £140 before fleeing without paying.

He went on to target three stores in Rowley Regis, stealing goods worth almost £2,740 in total.

Marsh's string of offences came to an end on August 3 after he stole a bag of food from a store. The incident was reported to police, who carried out a search of the area.

Marsh was found on Union Street, Blackheath, and was subsequently arrested.

He was charged with 48 counts of shop theft, assaulting a police constable and breaching a community order.

Marsh appeared at Wolverhampton Magistrates Court, where he was sentenced to 36 weeks in prison. He was also handed a three-year criminal behaviour order.

PC Christopher Wickett, of the Sandwell Retail Crime Team, said the impact of the offending was felt by both businesses and their staff.

“Behind every theft Marsh committed are staff and businesses which have been forced to bear the burden of his offending.

“We hope this provides reassurance to businesses that we will continue to take robust action against those who target our community.”