Prolific shop thief jailed after latest Crawley offences

A 31-year-old man with no fixed address has been sentenced to nine months in prison after admitting a further 11 offences of shop theft, committed in the towns of Crawley and Horsham in West Sussex.

The offender, named as Luke Wolf‑England, carried out a series of thefts between 24 August and October this year, shortly after being handed a community order in August following admission of 38 previous offences across the county.

During the recent offending spree, Wolf-England entered stores and stole a variety of items: electrical goods such as a turntable and speakers from a branch of HMV Crawley in Crawley, chocolate and meat from a branch of Tesco Express Horsham in Horsham, and multiple cans of energy drink from a branch of Co‑op Langley Green.

The offences occurred just nine days after he was sentenced to engage in drug rehabilitation treatment under his previous community order. Surveillance footage from September and October captured Wolf-England across multiple retail premises, prompting the police to treat him as a priority to address business crime.

Chief Inspector Steven Turner, the district commander for Crawley, commented:

“Wolf-England has continued to be a prolific shoplifter in our town centres. We understand the concerns that shoplifting has for both retailers and the public, and we work in partnership to trace offenders and gather evidence to prosecute them. This case shows our determination to catch prolific offenders, and he had no choice but to plead guilty in court. I’m pleased that a prolific offender is now serving a custodial sentence.”

This case underscores the impact of repeat offending on local retail businesses and the public’s sense of safety. By acting swiftly with identification via CCTV and prioritising repeat offenders, the police in West Sussex demonstrate a firm stance on business crime.

For local businesses, it highlights why vigilance — in terms of staff training, in-store security, and swift reporting of incidents — remains vital. For members of the public, it emphasises the value of community and business-police partnership working to ensure town centres remain safe and resilient.