Jason Thorpe, of no fixed address, stole Jellycat soft toys, high-value electric toothbrushes, books, candles, and other goods in a series of offences between August 9 and October 28.
The 54-year-old targeted stores in Portslade, Hove and central Brighton.
Thorpe was identified as the suspect and was arrested on November 27.
He was charged the following day with 11 counts of theft from a shop and appeared at Brighton Magistrates’ Court on Saturday, 29 November, where he pleaded guilty on all counts.
Thorpe was sentenced the same day to 50 weeks in prison.
CCTV footage captured Thorpe in the act – Credit: Sussex Police:
It was heard that Thorpe made no attempt to pay when he entered Tesco in Portslade on 9 August and stole a £160 electric toothbrush.
He appeared to favour this particular item, returning to several supermarkets throughout August and taking many similar products from the shelves.
Thorpe also entered Bert’s Homestore in Hove on 21 August, 23 August and 14 September, each time leaving with a collection of expensive Jellycat toys without paying.
Police said further incidents were reported in October, including the theft of a number of candles from the Neptune showroom in Hove, and the theft of health products from Holland & Barrett in Brighton.
The officer leading the investigation, Timothy Carr-Dean said: “Thorpe repeatedly stole high-value items without any regard for the impact on businesses. His actions caused financial loss, disruption to staff, and a great deal of frustration for those affected.
“He targeted multiple stores over several weeks, showing a clear pattern of offending that was quickly linked to him.
“I would like to thank the stores involved for their cooperation and patience while we worked to bring Thorpe’s crime spree to an end.”
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