A serial thief who targeted the same store to steal thousands of pounds worth of clothing been charged and jailed within two days of his arrest by British Transport Police (BTP) officers.
Zenith Lawrence, 24 and of no fixed address, was jailed for 12 weeks at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on the morning of Monday 19 January after pleading guilty to four counts of theft.
On Saturday 17 January, plain-clothes officers were on at patrol at St. Pancras International railway station as part of an operation tackling theft.
At around 3pm, an officer spotted a man who he recognised as a potential suspect in a theft from an All Saints clothing store at the station on Wednesday 14 January. He alerted uniformed colleagues, and together they quickly moved in and detained Lawrence.
CCTV checks showed Lawrence entering the store and calmly taking two jumpers and two leather jackets worth almost £1,300 before leaving.
Another officer then identified Lawrence as a suspect for a further three offences, all at the same store.
On 4 December he had stolen a jumper, while on 15 January he stole two women’s leather jackets and a bag. Brazenly, he returned two hours later and stole three more men’s leather jackets.
The total value of all the items stolen in all four offences was nearly £3,800.
Lawrence was arrested and didn’t answer any of the questions put to him during police interview.
Officers worked quickly and thoroughly to present a wealth of CCTV evidence and witness statements to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), allowing him to be charged and remanded to court. He was left with no option but to plead guilty.
BTP Inspector Ben Payne said: “I’d like to recognise the awareness and proactivity of our officers in identifying Lawrence, then quickly working to link him to further offences. This fast-paced investigative work allowed us to arrest, charge, and bring him before the courts in just two days.
“His imprisonment demonstrates our determination to tackle theft across the railway network. By using targeted patrols, intelligence and thorough investigative work, we are ensuring offenders are identified quickly and held accountable, sending a clear message that theft on the railway will not be tolerated.”
Anyone who is the victim of, or witness to, an offence on the railway network should text BTP on 61016, or call 0800 40 50 40.
