A man who admitted a number of theft and fraud charges has been jailed for 12 weeks.
Jake Anthony Sweatland, aged 24 and of Charminster Road, Bournemouth, was sentenced at Poole Magistrates’ Court on Friday 22 February 2019 after admitting two theft offences and four counts of fraud by false representation.
On Friday 1 February 2019 a Bournemouth man aged in his 20s received a call from his bank in relation to activity on his account. A family member checked his vehicle, which had been parked on Coleman Road in Bournemouth overnight, and found it had been broken into and his wallet containing cash and two bank cards had been taken.
His bank records showed three transactions at the Bear Cross Service Station on Ringwood Road in Bournemouth between 2.32am and 2.37am on 1 February, with amounts of £29.98, £22.10 and £29.98.
CCTV footage from the service station was obtained and Sweatland was identified as the offender.
At around 12pm on Monday 4 February 2019 a man discovered his vehicle which had been parked on the driveway of his home address in Casterbridge Road in Ferndown had been broken into with loose change taken. He checked his home CCTV system, which showed a man later identified by officers as Sweatland forcing entry to the vehicle the previous night at around 10.25pm.
Officers attended Sweatland’s address on Thursday 21 February 2019 to make an arrest and carried out a search of the premises. During the search they found a debit card in the name of a Bournemouth woman.
Police established that the woman had reported the card missing on Monday 21 January 2019 and an unsuccessful attempt had been made to use it at Premier Food and Wine in Charminster Road on Wednesday 20 February 2019. Again, Sweatland was identified as the man who attempted to use the card through CCTV from the store.
Police Constable Matt Williamson, of Bournemouth police, said: “Jake Sweatland is a prolific offender and I am pleased that through our investigations we were able to identify him as the man responsible for these offences so he could be brought before the court.
“Although there is nothing to suggest the victims in this case did anything to themselves a target, I would like to take this opportunity to urge residents to make sure they do not leave anything on display in their vehicles and make sure they are locked securely at all times.
“Think about where you park and consider using an alarm or immobiliser. For more information on how to protect your vehicle from thieves visit www.dorset.police.uk/help-advice-crime-prevention/home-property-belongings/vehicle-crime-removeitlockit/.”
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