A MAN has been given a Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO) for five years after he was convicted of shoplifting offences, banning him from a number of stores and garages in Reading and Wokingham.
Jonathan Whitnall, aged 50, of no fixed abode, was given the CBO on Tuesday, October 7, in a hearing at Reading Magistrates’ Court.
Whitnall has been involved in a large number of shoplifting offences targeting shops throughout Reading and Wokingham.
He was arrested on July 21 was charged for shoplifting on the same day.
Whitnall pleaded guilty to theft by shoplifting at Reading Magistrates’ Court on July 22.
The court found that Whitnall had acted in an antisocial manner, which caused or was likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress.
Under the terms of the CBO, Whitnall has been prohibited from entering enter Co-op and Tesco stores as well as Shell and BP Garages in the Reading and Wokingham area.
Whitnall has also been prohibited to wear face coverings, hoods up covering the face and head in shops, and must leave a shop when directed to by any staff member in the Reading and Wokingham area.
The order will remain in place until October 2030.
PC Jonathan Bowness of the Whitley Neighbourhood Team, said: “Whitnall has been part of a cohort who have been targeting shops throughout the Reading and Wokingham areas and has been convicted on several occasions for shoplifting.
“I am pleased that he has received a five-year CBO, which he must comply with or risk being sent to prison.
“We will not tolerate shoplifting in our business community. It is not a victimless crime and Whitnall’s criminality has now been dealt with by way of this CBO.
“We are committed to tackling this type of offending and will work tirelessly to put offenders before the courts.”
