Teenager’s £116k Shoplifting Spree ‘Worst Seen by Magistrate’
8th May 2026
A magistrate has told a teenage shoplifter that she has never seen offending on such a scale after he avoided a custodial sentence for thefts that totalled £116,000
In other words, no prison time.
The 17-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, participated in dozens of raids in London shops over the past two years, Highbury Corner youth court was told.
He was captured on CCTV either “directly participating” in taking cosmetic products off the shelves or acting as a lookout. The court was told the boy acted alone and as part of a group on a number of occasions and there was an investigation into other perpetrators.
And still, no prison time.