Man, 33, jailed for 62 weeks for shoplifting and assault offences in Northampton

Richard Freeman pleaded guilty at Northampton Magistrates’ Court to shoplifting and assault on January 1, 2018.

Over the past few months, Freeman had targeted a variety of stores, mainly in the Kingsthorpe area. As well as stealing goods from them, he often displayed aggressive behaviour and assaulted staff on a number of occasions.

Sergeant Steve Middleditch, from the Force Investigation Team, said: “This was an outstanding piece of work by one of our officers who worked tirelessly and often past her posted duty time to ensure we got a good result on this case.

“Freeman’s behaviour had caused a number of people working in Kingsthorpe stores to become fearful of coming in to work.

“Our officer knew this and worked on an intensive plan with fellow officers to arrest Freeman and ensure that the evidence brought against him would be enough to warrant a prison sentence.

“This is a fantastic result, not only for the officers involved in the case and the Force as a whole, but also for the shopkeepers of Northampton.”