'Brazen' West Midlands jewellery thief jailed after £16k haul
West Midlands Police said Dosanjh's series of heists began on 18 January, when he asked staff at a jewellers in West Bromwich if he could have a look at a gold chain from a display cabinet.The staff member handed the chain over to Dosanjh, who then ran from the store. On the same day, he used similar tactics at a jewellers in Birmingham, again, fleeing with a gold chain.He then went on to commit similar offences in Sutton Coldfield, Walsall, Solihull, Brierley Hill, Wolverhampton and Smethwick.However, his spree of thefts came to an end when he was stopped by traffic officers in Oldbury on 19 May after driving a Volkswagen Golf without a license and insurance.Checks by officers revealed he was also wanted for the string of theft offences.Sgt Paul Bishop of West Midlands Police said: "Dosanjh was charged with nine shop theft offences with eight of them relating to jewellery shops."He was a brazen thief that used the same tactics for each of his offences. However, due to good CCTV footage we were able to link Dosanjh to his crime spree across the West Midlands."
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The Independent
41 minutes ago
- The Independent
‘I caught a brazen shoplifter stealing beer – he didn't even get punished'
A shopkeeper who dragged a taunting thief back to his store said the man's punishment sent out the wrong signal to other potential criminals. The shoplifter casually opened a can of Foster's beer as he walked out of Core Convenience in Durham without paying for a £10 crate of the lager. But he was stopped by store owner Andrew Board, who grabbed him and brought him back to the entrance. Despite Mr Board's brave actions, officers at Durham Constabulary did not take the matter to court after locating the suspect, who admitted to the offence. Instead he was dealt with through a community resolution, often used for minor offences or incidents of antisocial behaviour, and does not result in a criminal conviction. Under the solution, the offender paid back the money for the beer and was then banned from the entering the shop. 'This is a wrong signal and fuels the problem,' said Mr Board. 'A person then knows that they can steal as they wish, and if they get caught, they would just have to pay for the goods then. 'On this case, there was essentially no punishment for attempting to steal goods. He could have got away without paying, but as I caught him, he was just made to pay for it. No deterrent in the legal sense.' Mr Board said he dealt with several shoplifting incidents at his store every week. He has had to make multiple citizen arrests and enhance the CCTV system within the shop as a result of thefts. Sought-after items for criminals, such as Lurpak butter, 20-can packs of Budweiser and large bottles of Comfort softener, have had to be removed from shelves. Mr Board's battle with shoplifters reflect a national issue with police receiving a record number of reports for shop thefts last year. But most reported offences do not lead to punishment. Home Office data analysed by The Independent showed just 18 per cent of reports of shoplifting resulted in a person being charged or summoned to court in 2023/24 in England and Wales. In more than half (56 per cent), police failed to identify the suspect and the case was dropped. Of those sentenced for shoplifting at court in England and Wales last year, 27 per cent received a custodial sentence. Mr Board said that because of the time it took to get a case to court, the community resolution given to the offender for the offence was 'probably the best option to get the money back fast'. But he added: 'It shouldn't be like that. We should get our money back quickly, and they should get punished.' Last week, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper announced that extra officers will be deployed on the streets of 500 towns in a summer crackdown on shoplifting and antisocial behaviour. She said: 'Residents and businesses have the right to feel safe in their towns. But the last government left a surge in shop theft, street crime and anti-social behaviour which has left too many town centres feeling abandoned. 'It's time to turn this round, that's why I have called on police forces and councils alike to work together to deliver a summer blitz on town centre crime to send a clear message to those people who bring misery to our towns that their crimes will no longer go unpunished.' A Durham Constabulary spokeswoman said: 'We take this type of offending extremely seriously and work hard to tackle the issue across our force area. 'A large proportion of shoplifting offences are opportunistic and committed by people with drug or alcohol addictions. That's why, as a force, we must look at the bigger picture and find out why individuals offend in the first place and seek to address the underlying reasons for their offending.'
Scottish Sun
2 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Moment ‘cowardly' driver runs away after smashing stolen Porsche into family's car & killing boy, 2, in hit-and-run
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) SHOCKING footage shows the moment a "callous and cowardly" speeding driver ran away after killing a two-year-old boy in a hit and run. Sharjeel Shahzad was jailed for more than 15 years after he crashed a stolen Porsche Cayenne into a family's car in Smethwick, West Midlands, just before 11pm on December 14 last year. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 3 Sharjeel Shahzad has been jailed for more than 15 years after a two-year-old boy died following a hit-and-run collision Credit: West Midlands Police 3 He crashed his Porsche head on while driving dangerously and veering onto the opposite side of the road Credit: West Midlands Police 3 The cowardly criminal then took off on foot moments later Credit: West Midlands Police Shahzad already been banned from getting behind the wheel and was awaiting a court date for dangerous driving when he caused the death of a toddler and left his mum in a coma. Wolverhampton Crown Court heard the 30-year-old, of Cooksey Lane, Great Barr, West Midlands, had been driving at speeds of up to 50mph. He then overtook a vehicle on approach to a sweeping blind bend on Dartmouth Road and lost control of the powerful high-powered Porsche, which had false plates. Sickening footage shows the reckless driver veering onto the opposite side of the road, into a Toyota Auris being driven by Baljeet Singh. Cowardly Shahzad is seen moments later fleeing his vehicle without a second thought for the victims he left behind. The criminal was caught on camera running without looking back as other shocked motorists came to a halt following the horror smash. Baljeet, who was driving the other car, had been out celebrating a family birthday with his wife and friends that evening. Also in the car were Amritpal Singh, Kushpreet Kaur and their two-year-old son Shehbaz Singh. Shehbaz, who was unrestrained in the back of the Toyota, was pronounced dead, despite efforts to save him at the scene and at Birmingham Children's Hospital. Ms Kaur suffered severe injuries to her brain and is still in hospital. She has not been told her son has died. The court also heard Shahzad had been due to face court on December 23 in connection with a 19-minute, 30-mile pursuit he led police on in a stolen Audi on June 10. Shock moment drunk Fiat 500 driver smashes into car and flips over during dangerous overtake on quiet residential street Shahzad reached speeds of almost 150mph as he tried to evade officers, heard the court. He was only stopped when police rammed the Audi and he tried to flee the scene but was apprehended. Shahzad had also been arrested for a similar incident the day before on June 9 but this case was not continued. In October 2024, Shahzad was banned from driving for six months, despite only having a provisional driving licence, for driving without due care and attention. Jailing him for 15 years and four months for causing the death by dangerous driving of Shehbaz Singh, Judge Jonathan Gosling said the impact of the fatal collision was "catastrophic". He said: "You destroyed the lives of Amritpal Singh and Kushpreet Kaur and devastated their family and friends. You killed that little boy." The judge said Shahzad's "true character is revealed" by the fact he fled after the fatal collision with no regard for the hurt he had caused. He added: "You are not only a dangerous man, you are callous and cowardly." Shahzad was given sentences of 15 months for dangerous driving on June 10, three years each for two counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving and four months for driving while disqualified, all of which will run concurrently. While there was no evidence Shahzad was the one who stole the Porsche, by the time of the collision, it had false registration plates on which his fingerprint was found. 'CALLOUS AND COWARDLY' Judge Gosling said Shahzad had "completely disregarded the consequences" of his actions when he fled the scene, adding: "His only interest was to disappear. He was arrested two days later and denied being in the Porsche at the time. "He complained he was being compelled to drive this way by men he feared. No one compelled him to drive like that. "He ran from the car knowing he must, at the very least, have caused very serious injury to those in the Toyota." Defending Shahzad, Nicholas Berry told the court the defendant's life had "spiralled in the most reckless manner" in the lead-up to the collision as his long-term relationship had ended and he had lost work. He had written a letter to the judge expressing his remorse for what happened. He pleaded guilty to the charges he faced at a hearing on April 11. Judge Gosling also made Shahzad, who sat in the dock wearing a grey tracksuit and showed no emotion, subject to a three-year extended licence and banned him from driving for eight years upon his release. He must also take an extended driving test before he is allowed to drive. The judge recognised the efforts of two people who tried to help those in the Toyota and called out to Shahzad to stop as he fled by awarding them £500 each.
The Independent
3 hours ago
- The Independent
Fog machines, barriers and citizen's arrests: Meet the shopkeepers hitting back against ‘kamikaze' thieves
Shopkeepers are resorting to desperate measures in a bid to protect their businesses and staff from so-called 'kamikaze' thieves who they claim are not being punished hard enough. Amid record levels of shoplifting reported to police, small retailers are being forced to fork out thousands of pounds on fog machines, enhanced CCTV systems and high-tech security barriers in a bid to deter would-be thieves. Some business owners are making citizens arrests, chasing potentially dangerous suspects into surrounding streets, and banning every pupil from entire schools. 'High-price' items such as laundry powder, foil and butter are being put behind the counter, or even no longer stocked, because of blatant attempts by criminals to clear shop shelves for resale. Shopkeepers say the rise in so-called 'kamikaze' shoplifting, which takes place in plain sight with complete impunity, is only exacerbated by the lack of tough sentences handed out to those caught. Just over a quarter of shoplifters sentenced at courts are jailed, the latest Home Office data reveals, with the average custody term being two months. Others caught face softer outcomes. One woman caught stealing items worth more than £50, including tubs of Lurpak butter, was ordered to pay back 80p 'every few weeks out of her benefits' after receiving a conditional discharge, said Durham shopkeeper Andrew Board, who described his own fight against shoplifters as 'personal'. 'They're stealing out of my pocket and I'm not going to have them dragging me into the gutter, I'm not going have these people continue to steal off me and just think they can get away with it,' he told The Independent. Latest figures show the number of shoplifting offences in England and Wales passed half a million for the first time last year, increasing by 20 per cent from 2023. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has vowed to crack down on the shoplifters, with the latest move announced last week for increased police presence across 500 towns as part of a safer streets summer initiative scheme. Also, under planned changes to the Crime and Policing Bill, the maximum sentence for shoplifters caught stealing items under £200 will rise to seven years, and a new offence will be created for assaulting shop workers. However, stronger punishment is still needed to tackle the 'epidemic', according to Katy Bourne, lead for retail crime at the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners. Home Office data analysed by The Independent showed just 18 per cent of reports of shoplifting led to a person being charged or summoned to court, while in 56 per cent of cases, no suspect was identified. 'We know that if we take the prolific offenders off the street crime goes down,' said Ms Bourne, who is the Conservative Police and Crime Commissioner for Sussex. 'The message we are sending to thieves is 'we are almost letting you get away with it. We need an effective deterrent, we need shops to no longer be an easy target.' Shoplifting is costing retailers £2.2bn a year, according The British Retail Consortium, which said many business have lost faith in action against the thieves, who it said have have become bolder and more aggressive. Mr Board, who runs Core Convenience store, said he and his staff do not hesitate to catch suspects, adding that those caught rarely come back. 'I've reached the stage where I've just had enough, so take matters into my own hands now,' he said. 'This is just a small family business, so thefts come out of my pocket, so it's always personal. If the business gets pushed to the point of closing, the community loses access to critical services as we also house a very busy Post Office branch.' CCTV clips of the citizens arrests are put on the store's Facebook page in a further bid to deter other shoplifters. Mr Board said: 'Our overheads have been pushed to extremes. The government promised the construction of many new prisons, so those committing crimes could be more likely to receive just punishments, but it's all silent. 'If things don't change quickly, then you'll find all your small community convenience stores closing down.' In Bristol, Nick Smith, who runs a Premier shop in Knowle, also said he has had to chase after suspected shoplifters fleeing his store. Earlier this year, he ran after a person with a walking stick who was found to have stolen items from the shop. Tin foil, coffee and even sweets are now stored behind the counter due to thefts. 'It may be £4 or £5 worth of items stolen each time, but you add that up over 20-or-so incidents and you are down almost £100 - that's a lot for a small business,' he said. Also in Bristol, at Wai Yee Hong Chinese supermarket, a spate of thefts forced bosses to install scanning barriers and ban children from a nearby secondary school. Drinks and snacks made famous on TikTok were being targeted, said worker Celina Li. 'The extra eyes on shoppers and security were helping to deter shoplifters,' she said. The store received funding to pay for extra security through a Safer Shops West scheme run by the West of England Combined Authority. Other businesses to benefit included Silver Jewellery shop in Bath. After a break-in, owner Guy Douglas spent £2,000 on a fog machine that can be activated by in-store staff for when a theft occurs. 'Fortunately, we haven't had to use it,' he said. 'I like to think the warning signs have had an impact.' Chief Constable Amanda Blakeman, from the National Police Chiefs' Council, said: 'Over the last two years we have made significant strides in our fight against retail crime, strengthening relationships with retailers and working in partnership to support in prevention tactics and improved information sharing.' The Home Office said local actions plans had been set up with police, shops and councils to crackdown on thefts as part of the planned 'blitz' in the summer. Ms Cooper said 'We are putting officers back on the beat where you can see them and making our town centres safe again."
