Is this Northampton’s WORST shoplifter? Thief who stole £4,700 worth of goods targeting five town stores 33 times in 27 days
A prolific shoplifter escaped a SEVENTH jail sentence in less than two years after admitting stealing goods worth thousands from Northampton shops 33 times in a 27-day period.
According to court documents Luke Scarley, aged 32, repeatedly raided a Co-op store in Semilong Road 12 times and three branches of One Stop in the town. His biggest single haul was alcohol and laundry products totalling £295 from a shop in Duston.
He also took chocolate to the value of £200 from the Co-op, wine to the value of £216.25 on one of four trips to One Stop in Kent Road and chocolate to the value of £291.55 from another One Stop in Stanhope Road — which he stole from on nine occasions. He also took goods from a One Stop shop in Duston seven times. He also admitted stealing from Heron Foods on June 21 and one count of attempted theft from One Stop Stanhope Road.
Scarley, of Campbell Street, Northampton, appeared for sentencing at Northampton Crown Court on August 14 after indicating guilty pleas to 33 counts of theft from shops plus one count of attempted theft, all between May 30 and June 27, 2025.
Recorder Louise Cox gave Scarley, of Campbell Street, Northampton, a three-year community order with a requirement to seek drug rehabilitation treatment under direction of the probation service, ruling that because Scarley was “a persistent offender previously fined, it is in the interests of justice to make a community order instead of imposing a fine for this offence.”
Scarley’s full list of offences
■ On May 30, 2025 stole items to the value of £106.50 belonging to One Stop, Kent Road ■ On June 7 stole items to the value of £68 belonging to Co-op, Semilong Road ■ On June 8 stole alcohol and laundry products to the value of £295 belonging to One Stop, Duston. ■ On June 8 stole items to the value of £94.50 belonging to Co-op, Semilong Road. ■ On June 8 stole items to the value of £171.55 belonging to One Stop, Stanhope Road. ■ On June 9 stole laundry products to the value of £52.70 belonging to One Stop, Duston. ■ On June 9 stole wine to the value of £150 belonging to one stop, Kent Road. ■ On June 10 stole wine to the value of £123.50 belonging to One Stop, Kent Road. ■ On June 10 at 07:20 hours stole chocolate to the value of £200 belonging to Co-op, Semilong Road. ■ On June 10 at 13:24 hours stole meat and cheese to the value of £66.25 belonging to Co-op, Semilong Road. ■ On June 11 stole wine to the value of £216.25 belonging to One Stop, Kent Road. ■ On June 11 stole items to the value of £161 belonging to Co-op, Semilong Road. ■ On June 12 at 16:04 hours stole items to the value of £125 belonging to Co-op, Semilong Road. ■ On June 12 at 17:50 hours stole items to the value of £55.50 belonging to Co-op, Semilong Road. ■ On June 12 at 21:36 hours stole items to the value of £314 belonging to Co-op, Semilong Road. ■ On June 13 stole items to the value of £46.50 belonging to Co-op, Semilong Road. ■ On June 15 stole items to the value of £146.90 belonging to One Stop, Stanhope Road. ■ On June 16 stole items to the value of £167.20 belonging to Co-op, Semilong Road. ■ On June 16 stole chocolate to the value of £180.20 belonging to One Stop, Duston. ■ On June 17 stole chocolate to the value of £291.55 belonging to One Stop, Stanhope Road. ■ On June 17 stole meat items to the value of £262.85 belonging to One Stop, Duston. ■ On June 18 stole meat and chocolate items to the value of £168.55 belonging to One Stop, Duston. ■ On June 18 stole wine to the value of £119 belonging to One Stop, Stanhope Road. ■ On June 19 at 07:15 hours stole confectionery to the value of £168.40 belonging to One Stop, Stanhope Road. ■ On June 19 stole items to the value of £100.40 belonging to One Stop, Duston. ■ On June 19 at 16:13 hours stole items to the value of £102.10 belonging to One Stop, Stanhope Road ■ On June 21 at 16:13 hours attempted to steal items to the value of £100 belonging to One Stop, Stanhope Road ■ On June 21 at 21:00 hours stole items to the value of £88.75 belonging to One Stop, Stanhope Road ■ On June 22 stole meat to the value of £160.85 belonging to One Stop, Duston. ■ On June 22 stole wine to the value of £108 belonging to One Stop, Stanhope Road ■ On June 23 stole chocolate to the value of £136.80 belonging to One Stop, Stanhope Road. ■ On June 23 stole items to the value of £56.25 belonging to Heron Foods. ■ On June 25 at 07:35 hours stole chocolate to the value of £150 belonging to Co-op, Semilong Road. ■ On June 25 at 18:53 hours stole coffee to the value of £70 belonging to Co-op, Semilong Road.
The total value of goods involved in the thefts was £4,724.05. This latest hearing came a year after Scarley had been sentenced to 45 weeks in prison for six counts of thefts from shops in Northampton and Peterborough between December 2023 and June 2024. He was also ordered to pay a total of £1,563.97 compensation.
In May 2025 magistrates sentenced the thief to two weeks for assault and stealing two uncooked chickens, two sausage rolls and six blocks of cheese from a One Stop shop — and two months earlier he was sentenced to 20 weeks and handed a compensation bill of £1,365.47 for another string of thefts.
He was given a suspended sentence in August 2023 for two thefts from Home Bargains but then jailed for 16 weeks just two months later for stealing from B&M Stores and assaulting a police officer. In April 2023, Scarley was convicted of taking washing powder and Fairy pods from Savers store and stealing a laptop from Northampton’s Hope Centre and given a six weeks sentence.
Northamptonshire Police launched a dedicated Retail Crime Team in 2023. A spokesman for the force said: “Our aim is to protect retailers from criminals. Retail crime is a serious issue that affects many people, from store staff and owners dealing with the direct impact of offences such as shop theft, to consumers who end up paying increased prices as a result.
“Smaller stores are cornerstones of our communities, and we are committed to doing all we can to protect them and their staff from crime. We’d urge anyone who is a victim of retail crime to report it to us, so we can support you and bring offenders to court. You can report non-emergency crime online at www.northants.police.uk/RO. In an emergency, such as where a crime is in progress or life is at risk, always call 999.”