'Professional criminal' stole Covid charity's collection box from well-known Northampton cafeteria

Magistrates jailed a man they dubbed "a professional criminal" who stole a local charity's collection box from a well-known Northampton cafe.

According to court documents, Connor-James Richings took the box containing an unknown amount of money belonging to the McCarthy-Dixon Foundation from the Super Sausage Cafeteria in St Andrew's Road on February 6, 2024.

Richings, aged 31, said to be of Gold Street in the town, also pleaded guilty to two counts of shoplifting and one of attempted theft at three stores in Wellingborough — two Tesco Extra supermarkets and a local newsagent — during a hearing at Northampton Magistrates' Court on February 26.

He was jailed for a total of 16 weeks, including eight for stealing the charity box, after magistrates ruled "the number and nature of the offences shows that the defendant is operating as a professional criminal."

Richings has a long history of stealing and was sentenced to four weeks behind bars in November 2023 for stealing food and drink worth a total of £132.90 from a Northampton Co-op store.

He was also sentenced to 23 weeks in July 2023 for a number of thefts including footwear worth £106 from Superdry, scratch cards, crisps and cleaning products, an electric scooter, meat, alcohol and Haribo sweets worth £20 from a Co-op.

And in December 2022 he was convicted of stealing a Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal charity collection box and sentenced to four weeks in prison.