A man has been jailed after admitting a series of shop thefts and other offences in Reading.
Thames Valley Police said Steven Clark, 54, of no fixed address, was sentenced to 40 weeks in prison, with a minimum of 20 weeks to be served in custody. He was also given a Criminal Behaviour Order.
Clark was sentenced at Reading Crown Court on Monday 2 March after pleading guilty to seven counts of shop theft, one count of assault by beating and one count of possessing a bladed article in a public place.
Police said that between December 2025 and February 2026, Clark repeatedly targeted shops across Reading, stealing items including washing tablets, meat and hundreds of pounds worth of whisky.
On 5 January 2026, Clark assaulted a shop worker, a man in his 50s, inside the Co-op Food Whitley Wood Road. The victim was not seriously injured.
Officers later detained Clark on 3 February after attending another report at a shop. When searched, police found he was carrying a knife in his pocket. He was arrested, charged and remanded in custody.
PC Joshua Chapman, from the Whitley and Church neighbourhood policing team, said he was “satisfied that Clark has been jailed” following what he described as prolific offending in the Whitley area.
He added that the Criminal Behaviour Order would help police prevent further offences and warned Clark could be jailed again if he breached it by targeting shops in the area.
PC Chapman also thanked members of the community who had provided information during the investigation, saying it had helped officers secure the court order.
