Thief gets suspended jail term after year-long Banbury spree
A thief stole more than £3,700 worth of items ranging from alcohol, fake grass and cat treats in a nearly year-long shoplifting spree around an Oxfordshire town.Daniel Gilbert, 37, admitted stealing items from eight shops across Banbury 57 times between May last year and this April.Gilbert, from Mollington, near Banbury, took products from the town's TK Maxx, Co-Op, Boots, Tesco Express, B&M Bargains, The Range, Home Bargains and Poundland stores.He was given a given a four-month jail term, suspended for two years, by Oxford magistrates.
Items he stole ranged from food and other domestic products from the Co-Op, which he stole from 21 times, to gift sets from Boots worth hundreds of pounds. He took items from the health and beauty retailer's stores nine times.During his sentencing on 6 June, magistrates told Gilbert that his offending was so serious that only a custodial sentence was justified.He must also undergo a drug rehabilitation course, which will be reviewed in October.
You can follow BBC Oxfordshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Sky News
34 minutes ago
- Sky News
Man dies and girl, 8, in hospital after fire at four-storey building in Scotland
A man has died and an eight-year-old girl has been taken to hospital after a fire at a four-storey building in Scotland. Another man, aged 27, is also being treated following the blaze on the corner of Scott Street and South Street in Perth. Police Scotland has said temporary airspace restrictions are in place across Perth City Centre until 1pm on Wednesday "for security and safety". The fire was reported by officers on patrol in the area at around 1.50am on Saturday. A dozen fire crews were sent out to tackle the blaze and two firefighters were injured - one due to falling masonry. Nearby buildings were evacuated, with around 40 people forced to leave their homes. First Minister John Swinney, who is also the MSP for Perthshire North, said on social media: "Terribly sorry to hear of the death of a man in the fire in Scott Street, Perth and I express my sympathy to his family. "Concerned also for the condition of those who are receiving hospital treatment. "This is a major incident and I am thankful to the emergency services." A joint investigation has now been launched by the police and fire services. Andy Girrity, from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, said firefighters found the roof of the four-storey residential building "well alight". "Initially, three appliances were mobilised, but due to the severity of the blaze and structural collapses, a total of twelve appliances were involved at the height of the incident," he added. "Five casualties, including one firefighter injured by falling masonry, were passed into the care of the Scottish Ambulance Service. "The incident has now been scaled back, and two appliances and one height vehicle remain on scene to dampen down hotspots."
Sky News
an hour ago
- Sky News
Police investigating Ballymena riots vow to 'seek justice' as they search for more suspects
Police are working "night and day" to catch those involved in rioting in Ballymena, a senior officer has said. There was a reduction in disorder last night, following five consecutive nights of violence on the streets of Northern Ireland. The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said there were some "sporadic disturbances" on Saturday, which included young people throwing stones in Lurgan and an attempt to attack a vehicle in Carrickfergus. Assistant Chief Constable Melanie Jones said an increased police presence helped de-escalate violence. "The situation was much calmer than we have seen in recent days," she said. "I issued a public plea to parent/guardians and families of young people who have been driving the criminal activity in some areas to warn them of the serious consequences of their actions. "I am asking for continued conversations amongst local families to deter young people from criminalising themselves. "Everyone deserves to feel safe on our streets. So, just as we will seek justice for women and girls who report heinous crimes to us, we will also seek justice for local innocent families who are being targeted by criminality fuelled by hate." 'It's very scary' The unrest followed an alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl in the town on 7 June. Two teenagers were arrested and charged, and the police said the pair used a Romanian interpreter to plead not guilty in court. A peaceful protest on Monday evening about the alleged assault was followed by attacks on police and properties housing ethnic minorities. Police described the scenes as "racist thuggery". Angry mobs took to the streets and police responded to rioters' petrol bombs and bricks with rubber bullets and water cannon onslaughts of their own. James Arcangel woke up to a brick smashed through his bedroom window. He told social affairs correspondent Becky Johnson he moved to the town from the Philippines just over a year ago. "They should stop doing what they are doing," he said. "It is very bad. It is very scary." Why did Ballymena become the site of anti-immigration riots? It is hard to see where the violence will end More than 60 police officers injured So far, 24 people have been arrested - 14 of whom have been charged to court. "We will continue to robustly investigate the disorder over the last number of days but do not want to see any more young people criminalised by being caught up in this activity," Chief Constable Jones said. "Sixty-four of our colleagues have been injured and I commend their bravery and determination. "Their unwavering efforts over the last number of days have resulted in a reduction of disorder and I hope the local communities who have been targeted have felt the support of our frontline teams."
Sky News
an hour ago
- Sky News
Chancellor dismisses 'hurt feelings' after PM's U-turn on grooming gangs inquiry
The chancellor has refused to say if the government will apologise for dismissing calls for a national public inquiry into grooming gangs after the prime minister U-turned on the matter last night. Rachel Reeves told Sky News Sir Keir Starmer changed his mind after a government-requested audit into the scale of grooming gangs across the country concluded a nationwide probe was necessary. But she said the most important thing is to focus on the victims, not the "hurt feelings" of how others may have been spoken about. Speaking to Sky's Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips, Ms Reeves said one of the reasons the prime minister changed his mind on the need for a statutory public inquiry is to ensure that "people are compelled to give evidence", which local inquiries do not have the power to do. The chancellor was then asked if there will be an apology to people who were criticised by ministers for "talking total nonsense", spreading "misinformation", and were accused of jumping on an extremist "bandwagon". She replied: "What is the most important thing here? It is the victims, and it's not people's hurt feelings about how they have been spoken about." 3:31 What has the PM previously said? The prime minister has been sharply criticised for his comments about people calling for a statutory public inquiry. He said on 6 January: "What I won't tolerate is this discussion and debate based on lies without calling it out. What I won't tolerate is politicians jumping on the bandwagon simply to get attention. "When those politicians sat in government for 14 long years tweeting, talking, but not doing anything about [it]. Now, so desperate for attention that they're amplifying what the far right is saying." But Ms Reeves defended the prime minister's handling of the issue, saying he pledged to implement all 20 recommendations from the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA), criminal convictions are now at "a record high", and that he brought the first convictions for grooming when he served as director of public prosecutions. 3:31 Sir Keir confirmed last night that he will now be ordering a full statutory inquiry into the grooming gangs scandal. The full report from Baroness Louise Casey is set to be published on Monday, and the home secretary is expected to make a statement to parliament. He told reporters travelling with him to the G7 summit in Canada: "[Baroness Casey's] position when she started the audit was that there was not a real need for a national inquiry over and above what was going on. "She has looked at the material... and she has come to the view that there should be a national inquiry on the basis of what she has seen. I have read every single word of her report, and I am going to accept her recommendation. That is the right thing to do on the basis of what she has put in her audit. "I asked her to do that job to double check on this; she has done that job for me, and having read her report... I shall now implement her recommendations." What will the report say? The near 200-page report is to be published next week and is expected to warn that white British girls were "institutionally ignored for fear of racism". One person familiar with the report said it details the institutional failures in treating young girls and cites a decade of lost action from the IICSA, set up in 2014 to investigate grooming gangs in Rotherham. The report is also expected to link illegal immigration with the exploitation of young girls. The grooming gang scandal came back into the headlines at the beginning of the year after Elon Musk attacked Sir Keir and safeguarding minister Jess Philips for failing children. The prime minister and Ms Phillips hit back, with Sir Keir citing his record of prosecuting abusers as director of public prosecutions, while Ms Phillips has long been a campaigner against domestic violence.
