Man jailed for three business burglaries in Liverpool

Stefan Harrison

A man has been jailed after several bottles of alcohol were taken from a pub in Liverpool city centre on three separate occasions this month.

On Monday 8 June we received a report that a man had entered a pub on Whitechapel in Liverpool and taken three bottles of alcohol valued at £270.

Staff detained the man who was later arrested by officers on suspicion of three burglary offences after it was reported that the man had taken various bottles of alcohol from the pub on two other occasions, on Tuesday 2 June and Thursday 4 June.

Stefan Harrison, aged 35, of Regent Road in Bootle was charged with three burglary offences on Tuesday 9 June.

He was remanded into custody and appeared at Wirral Magistrates Court on Wednesday 10 June where he pleaded guilty and was jailed for 34 weeks, as well as being ordered to pay costs.

A number of suspects have been charged with unrelated burglary offences in the city centre in recent weeks.

On 29 April, Richard Thomas Green, 37 years, of no fixed address was sentenced for a burglary at Sainsburys on Old Hall Street on 15 March this year.

He was sentenced to 44-weeks imprisonment, suspended for 18 months, ordered to complete 12-months drug rehabilitation, 10-day Rehabilitation Activity Requirement and to pay £422 compensation.

Rachel Anna McCormack, 42 years, of no fixed address, was charged with burglary after it was reported a bottle of spirits had been stolen from Roxy Ball Room on Rainford Square on 28 May this year. She was remanded into custody to appear in court at a later date.

Christopher Wayne Crotty, of no fixed address, was arrested on 30 April on suspicion of attempted burglary with intent to steal and attempted theft after a report a man had been seen attempting to access the Churros One kiosk at St John’s Shopping Centre. He was later charged and will appear in court on 26 June.

Chief Inspector Chris Ruane said: “Our officers will take firm action to prevent any burglaries  at retailers in our city centre.

“Business burglaries can have a devastating economic impact on our businesses – when they are left out of pocket it can impact the livelihoods of those who work there, with local people losing their jobs as businesses seek to cover their losses, and  consumers hit when shops are forced to increase prices to make up for lost earnings.

“We work closely with businesses, shopping centres and the Liverpool BID Company, providing advice on signs employees can look out for, such as offenders exploiting insecure doors or distracting staff, and we regularly provide advice on enhanced security measures to prevent further criminality.

“We remain committed to supporting our local businesses and retailers in Liverpool and will continue working with them on the precautions they can take to prevent such crimes while also bringing offenders to justice.”