South Yorkshire crime: Cheese thief caught stealing again two days after release from jail

Sarah Connor was released from prison on May 28, after she was convicted of shoplifting over £550 worth of items.

Two days later, on May 30, she stole £32 worth of items from a pharmacy in Edlington, Doncaster.

She committed 11 further shoplifting offences at a One Stop store in the area, over an eight-day period in early June, and stole £83 worth of goods from a One Stop in Balby.

A spokesperson for South Yorkshire Police said her offending was “random”, with stolen items including blocks of cheese, coffee, and cans of vodka.

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Connor, aged 39, of Cooke Street in Bentley, was arrested and brought back into custody on June 12. 

She was charged with 14 thefts, pleaded guilty to every offence at Doncaster Magistrates' Court last Thursday (June 13), and was jailed for four months.

PC Victoria Attwood, the officer in charge of the case, said: "Connor reoffended just days after her release from prison and went on to commit a staggering number of offences in such a short space of time.

"She has no regard for the misery she inflicts on businesses and shop workers who should not have to deal with thieves like Connor in their line of work.

"Shoplifting isn't a victimless crime and that is why we encourage stores that have been raided by thieves to report every incident of shoplifting to us so we can investigate properly, like we were able to in this case.

"I hope when Connor is next released from prison, she really thinks about her actions and the impact it has on the businesses targeted as well as the wider communities here in Doncaster."

SYP asks victims of retail crime to report it immediately so they can investigate.

If the crime is ongoing or poses risk, call 999.

Otherwise, call 101 or use their online portal at www.southyorkshire.police.uk/ro/report/ocr/af/how-to-report-a-crime.