Notorious shoplifter sent to prison for two years

Aug 29 2007 by Deborah James, Liverpool Daily Post

A PROLIFIC shoplifter who was banned from almost every store in Liverpool was jailed for two years yesterday.

Janet Nesbitt breached an anti-social behaviour order (Asbo) which prohibited her from entering 174 city shops and any Marks & Spencer or Next store in the entire country.

Yesterday, Liverpool Crown Court heard Nesbitt, a 41-year-old drug addict, was the first thief to be given such an Asbo, in September, 2005.

David Evans, prosecuting, told the court Nesbitt, of no fixed address, had stolen bacon and gammon worth £25 from a store in West Derby Road in July last year.

She returned to Marks & Spencer in the city centre in March this year, knowing she was prohibited from going in, the court heard.

Mr Evans said she attempted to take some goods from the store, but discarded the bag she used to collect the items before leaving the building.

A few days later, she was in Wilkinson’s in Birkenhead stealing goods from the shop and gave false details to a police officer when she was arrested, the court was told.

Nesbitt, who has been stealing since 1982 and has 151 previous convictions for theft, pleaded guilty to breaching the Asbo, three charges of theft and one charge of obstructing a police officer.

Steven Ball, defending, told the court: “She has had a long-standing addiction to drugs since the age of 18.

“She would be the first to acknowledge that her criminal record is terrible.”

He said she suffered from health problems and her addiction worsened when she became homeless.

Jailing Nesbitt for two years, Judge John Phipps told her: “These offences were committed against a background of a truly dreadful record.

“It is a sorry catalogue of offending.”