A serial shoplifter from Swansea will be spending the festive season behind bars after being handed a five-month prison sentence for a string of thefts from local retailers.
Nicky Barratt, 26, of Waun Wen, admitted to five counts of shop theft at Swansea Magistrates Court on December 18, having targeted Tesco Express and Co-op stores across the city.
The offending took place over a period of nearly four weeks, running from November 17 to December 11.
Goods stolen during the spree amounted to £861.40 in total value, with Barratt helping himself to cheese, chocolate, alcohol and meat products.
Among the haul were more than 65 blocks of cheese, along with bottles and boxes of wine, cans of pre-mixed rum and whiskey, biscuits, barbecue ribs and soft drinks.
When officers apprehended Barratt during his final theft, he was found carrying boxes of chocolates valued at over £330.
The court heard how investigations subsequently connected him to a series of earlier incidents at Co-op and Tesco Express branches over the preceding three weeks.
Nicky Barratt stole £861.40 worth of goods during his shoplifting spree, including cheese, chocolate, alcohol and meat products
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SOUTH WALES POLICE
Barratt received a reduced sentence in recognition of his guilty pleas and will serve 40 per cent of his term in custody before being released on licence to complete the remainder in the community.
Police officers patrolling the city centre on December 11 responded to reports of a theft in progress at a Tesco Express, where they caught Barratt red-handed with the stolen chocolates.
Following his arrest at the scene, detectives were able to link him to four additional offences committed at various stores in the weeks prior.
A stock image of South Wales Police | SOUTH WALES POLICE
The defendant, whose full name is Nicky Con Barratt and who gave his address as Griffith John Street in the Dyfatty area of Swansea, entered guilty pleas to all five charges when he appeared before magistrates.
South Wales Police is now determined to continue working throughout the festive period to protect businesses and show offenders the cost of Christmas.
PS Jon Shaddick of the Swansea Neighbourhood Policing Team commented on the sentencing, noting that the case formed part of their Winter of Action initiative.
“During our Winter of Action we are focusing on targeting those who target businesses in our community to shoplift for their own gain,” he said.
“I’m pleased to see Barratt will spend Christmas in jail. I hope this time will provide him time to reflect on his choices.”
South Wales Police recorded 12,719 shoplifting crimes in 2023, putting it seventh in the UK for the highest shoplifting rate.
The figure equates to 9.5 shoplifting crimes per 1,000 people, roughly 33 per cent more than the UK average and 44 per cent more than the Welsh average.
The ward of Castle in Swansea recorded 988 crimes alone, making it a particularly rife patch for shoplifting.
However, Cathays in Cardiff accounted for 11 per cent of all shoplifting crimes in the South Wales Police area.