Elliot Cahill banned from city centre

He is a serial thief whose stealing was blatant and prolific stealing items from one store on 12 separate occasions. In total, he stole more than £2,800 of items over a shoplifting spree lasting four months.

On each occasion, Cahill was seen by staff and on CCTV entering the store, selecting various items including luxury gift sets and then leaving with little attempt to conceal his theft. During some of the incidents, he would leave with the items held above his head, presumably in an attempt to avoid the tag scanners.

At Lewes Crown Court he was charged with 16 counts of shoplifting and was found guilty of all charges. He was released on bail, pending sentencing on 03 August, with conditions barring him from large areas of the city centre.

Inspector Ben Hearth, Brighton and Hove’s lead for business crime, said: “Elliot Cahill was identified as a prolific offender thanks to the collaboration between Sussex Police, businesses and Brighton and Hove Business Crime Reduction Partnership [BCRP].

“That sense of teamwork is vital to catching these repeat offenders who cause so much harm to our communities – not just in financial losses to the businesses they target, but to the shop workers who are intimidated and forced into impossible situations.