A SHOPLIFTER was banned from all Asda, Sainsbury’s and Tesco stores in Essex for three years.

Laurentiu-Mihai Stroe, of St John’s Road, Wembley, stole more than £3,500 of alcohol and attempted to steal £571 more as he targeted stores in Epping and Harlow.

He was arrested with an accomplice on February 10 by an officer from Harlow Local Policing Team who had been alerted by security staff.

Basildon magistrates were told at a hearing on March 29 it had been his third offence of the day.

Stroe, 23, admitted to five thefts from supermarkets and one attempted theft, between October 2022 and February 2023.

He was issued with a three-year criminal behaviour order which prohibits him from entering any Asda, Sainsbury’s or Tesco stores in Essex for any reason during that time.

He was also jailed for a total of eight months and ordered to pay a total of £200 compensation. 

His accomplice was Aramis-Gilberto Mihai, 20, of no fixed address, who had pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to two thefts from supermarkets, involving more than £2,100 of alcohol.

Mihai, who was found by police hiding in the toilets of a nearby restaurant after he ran off from Asda in The Watergardens, Harlow, was sentenced by Chelmsford magistrates on February 11.

He was ordered to carry out 60 hours of unpaid work and to pay £105 costs and a £114 victim surcharge.

 

PC Alex Plakhtienko, from Essex Police's Business Crime Team, said: "Shoplifting is not a victimless crime.

"It can cause fear in shop staff and affects the business itself and customers, who may pay higher prices as a result of this criminal activity.

"We seek the application of criminal behaviour orders from the courts for prolific offenders to tackle their offending and to protect businesses, staff and customers alike.

"There are serious penalties for breaching them.  

"A countywide ban from three supermarket chains is quite unusual but Mr Stroe was stealing large quantities of alcohol and so the court clearly thought it was necessary to continue to disrupt his offending when he is released from prison."