A well-known serial shoplifter has been jailed after repeatedly breaching his Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO) just days after it was imposed.
Mwiya Kamutumwa, 24, known locally as Kush, was handed the order at Crawley Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, 15 April, following a series of thefts from shops across the Chichester district, including Tesco Express, Co-Op, TK Maxx, and One Stop.
However, just four days later, Kamutumwa brazenly breached the order and committed further offences. He was arrested and charged with multiple incidents, including:
Assault and theft of £99 of meat from Marks and Spencer, Portfield Way, Chichester (19 April)
Breach of CBO at Marks and Spencer, Portfield Way, Chichester (19 April)
Theft of £60 of cheese from Co-Op, Spitalfield Lane, Chichester (19 April)
Breach of CBO at Co-Op, Spitalfield Lane, Chichester (19 April)
Theft of £87.50 of alcohol from Co-Op, Bognor Road, Bognor (28 April)
Breach of CBO at Co-Op, Bognor Road, Bognor (28 April)
Appearing at Brighton Magistrates’ Court on 3 May, Kamutumwa pleaded guilty to all charges and was sentenced to eight weeks in prison.
Despite his imprisonment, the three-year CBO remains active, prohibiting him from entering specific shops and retail parks across Sussex, including all Sainsbury’s and Co-Operative stores, and Portfield Retail Park in Chichester.
PC Thomas Fisk of the Arun and Chichester Neighbourhood Policing Team said:
“This conviction demonstrates the immediate impact Criminal Behaviour Orders can have. Within days of leaving court, Kush committed further offences, but thanks to swift reporting by retail staff, we were able to arrest and charge him promptly.”
“It’s clear he has a blatant disregard for the law, and I hope this time in prison prompts him to rethink his choices. We continue to work closely with retailers and the community to tackle business crime and pursue further CBO applications to protect local businesses.”
Police urge retailers and the public to continue reporting suspicious behaviour to help crack down on shoplifting and anti-social crime in the area.
