Bloke who swiped £800s worth of wagyu steak from Aldi banned from supermarket

Matthew Jenkins, 44, has been jailed for a total of 30 weeks after he was caught shoplifting in early January, with his penchant for expensive steaks leading to his downfall

A serial shoplifter has been slapped with a ban from multiple Aldi stores after nicking nearly £800 worth of meat, including wagyu steaks. Matthew Jenkins, 44, was handed a 30-week prison sentence following his capture in early January.

Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court heard how he had pilfered £782.96 worth of meat, including wagyu steaks, from an Aldi store on Pier Avenue in Clacton-on-Sea between December 31 and January 5. The thief also swiped £42 worth of fitness nutrition products from a nearby Boots on January 6, according to Essex Police.

Following his latest theft, officers from the Tendring Neighbourhood Policing Team managed to apprehend him. Jenkins was sentenced for breaching a community order and for four counts of shop theft, which he confessed to on January 7.

The court also issued a criminal behaviour order barring him from entering any Aldi stores in the Tendring district in Essex for three years. Additionally, Jenkins was ordered to pay a £187 victim surcharge.

Neighbourhood officer Pc Sam Jewell, of Essex Police, noted that Jenkins had a history of offending, stating: “Shoplifting is not a victimless crime.”

He added: “Offenders’ behaviour can affect staff and customers in the shops they target.”

He further stated: “We have a duty to protect all victims of crime from repeat offenders.”

He concluded: “And one way we can do this is by applying to the courts for criminal behaviour orders which are designed to prevent their re-offending and having a future impact on retail staff.”

And a police spokesman added: “CBOs are designed to tackle the most serious and persistent anti-social individuals where their behaviour has brought them before a criminal court.

“It is an offence to breach the terms of a CBO and courts can impose a maximum sentence of up to five years’ imprisonment or a fine, or both, for an adult convicted of breaching them.”

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