A man has been jailed after being linked to repeated shoplifting offences across Poole and Christchurch, following a fast tracked investigation by Dorset Police.
Officers confirmed a series of thefts took place between June and November this year, with one offender repeatedly targeting shops in both towns and stealing goods worth thousands of pounds during multiple visits.
Police said the man entered the Boots store in Saxon Square in Christchurch on ten occasions, with further offences reported at the Boots store in Redlands in Poole and the Bookends store in Christchurch.
Investigators used the force’s new digital theft system, NiCE Investigate, which allows retailers to upload CCTV, witness statements and reports directly to officers, significantly reducing the time needed to progress enquiries.
Through this process, officers from the Dorset Police Retail Crime Team identified thirty one year old Jason Christopher Evans as the offender, with further checks confirming he was also wanted on recall to prison.
Evans was arrested in December and charged with fourteen shoplifting offences, before appearing at Poole Magistrates’ Court where he was sentenced to thirty two weeks in prison.
Sergeant Ryan Corbett said the case showed how digital reporting helped officers act quickly, adding that it delivered timely justice for victims and supported local businesses affected by retail crime.
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