Habitual shoplifter Warren Russell has been jailed for more than 6 months for breaching a Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO). The 40-year-old, of no fixed abode, also pleaded guilty to 2 charges of theft from a shop. Russell was handed the CBO by Magistrates on Thursday 14th March. Magistrates heard at that time that Russell’s persistent criminal behaviour was affecting the quality of life of residents, and causing harassment, alarm and distress to shop workers. Under the conditions of the CBO, which was granted for three years, Russell was prohibited from:
- Acting in an anti-social manner, that is to say acting in a manner that causes distress or is likely to cause alarm or distress to any person not of the same household as him.
- Entering any premises which has served a banning notice on him.
- Placing any item for sale in anything other than a shopping basket or trolley prior to payment being made at retail premises on the Isle of Wight.
- Concealing any item for sale on his person at any retail premises on the Isle of Wight.
- Concealing his face or head when entering any retail premises on the Isle of Wight.
He was warned that any breaches could result in a prison sentence. Russell’s behaviour continued, however, and he was charged with the following offences:
- Theft of a blowtorch from Hurst in Newport on 9 April.
- Theft of two pairs of sunglasses, worth £280, from Specsavers in Newport on 9 April.
- Breach of a Criminal Behaviour Order
After pleading guilty to the charges at Isle of Wight Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday 10th April, Russell was handed a 16 week jail term, and an additional 14 weeks under an activated suspended sentence, bringing the total sentence to 30 weeks in jail. He had been handed the suspended sentence by Magistrates on 3rd April for a previous CBO breach and 3 shoplifting offences. The 40-year-old has appeared on Island Echo on numerous occasions. He has now massed up a mammoth record of over 115 convictions and in 2023 alone he appeared in court no less than 4 times and completed 3 stints in prison. Warren Russell was jailed for 20 weeks in February 2023, with a further sentence of 12 weeks in May. Then, in September, he was handed a 22-week prison sentence. His most recent spell in custody was 10 weeks in January 2024 for theft of various items including alcohol, perfume, aftershave and washing powder. Chief Inspector Alex Charge said:
“Police on the Isle of Wight are supporting businesses and tackling retail crime as a priority. “Part of this work involves exploring all avenues available, such as securing Criminal Behaviour Orders as well as bringing prosecutions to court, to relentlessly pursue and disrupt habitual offenders. “We also work closely with other partner agencies including support services for those whose offending cycle is driven by other factors such as drug and alcohol dependency. “Shoplifting is not a victimless crime – repeat offences in particular can create an environment of fear for many retail workers, making them feel unsafe in their own workplace. We want to stop this. “We encourage businesses and the wider community to please keep reporting shop theft to us so we can continue our efforts to support victims and disrupt those responsible.”
It costs £47k to keep an offender in prison per year. It costs £23k to keep someone on benefits, including housing costs. If prison, or the threat of prison worked he wouldn’t have racked up 115 goes at it surely? Retributive justice (punishment) very rarely works, but it does give him a warm bed for 6 months and 3 meals a day. Restorative justice (possibly not in this case…too much to unpick) does and is far cheaper in the long run. Maybe their ‘relentless pursuit’ could be better employed elsewhere, seeing as shoplifting as a crime is lower than violent crime. How about that then Donna Jones?
Shop lifting is a crime it effects the staff that have to cope with violence and intimidation, it also affects
small businesses who are already struggling.
Shoplifting is not LOWER, where do you get your facts from “The ladybird book of crimes” It hits small retailers hard and I personally have caught this guy nicking, he is brazen, doesn’t care about where he is taking stuff from, and shoplifting puts prices up to cover the loss of stock. It is only very recently that this is being taken seriously by the police, and also the new law for shop workers too, so as I said before take a look outside your cotton wool existence.
From here: https://crimerate.co.uk/isle-of-wight#:~:text=The%20overall%20crime%20rate%20in,out%20of%201%2C000%20daytime%20population.
And of course he’s brazen after 115 arrests and knowing he at least isn’t on the streets if nicked would be a win-win for him. If he gets away with it, it makes his life a little easier than it would normally be, if he doesn’t, 3 meals and a bed. What’s he got to lose? Had there been a system to catch him before he started believing everyone sees him as ‘scum’ maybe he could have been the productive citizen people say they want?
are you actually for real karen – it is disgusting individuals like you that clearly don’t run a retail business, that has to run the gauntlet daily with filth like this. Stop apologising for the p rick
That useless, sponging, burden on society should be locked up permanently – it will be money well spent, as retailers would be able to divert more of their money into building their businesses, providing employment and contributing to the economic wellbeing of this country.
If we took these countries views on theft, then we would definitely see the likes of warren disappear..
The following countries impose the death penalty for theft: Afghanistan; Algeria and Cameroon; China; Iran and Saudi Arabia; North Korea
I do run a business. I’m not apologising for him, or anyone else. I’m pointing out that retributive justice, no matter how much it appeals to people’s sense of just revenge will not alter him, or the origins of theft. It’s not rocket science to compare the data in more affluent areas; the lower the poverty, the lower the crime of theft, be it shoplifting or personal. If he was locked up permanently as you suggest it would cost society far, far more than addressing poverty in the first place. In many countries which DO address it in those terms, prisons are shrinking, not growing, and their economies are far healthier than ours. As are their productive people.
well – lets point him in your direction and have him rob you daily, to the point that your business becomes untenable and then lets see if you are so woke with your views.
Why dont you move to one of those countries then?
Im 99% sure this guy wants to be in prisoñ, pretty sad, since his sentence doesn’t serve in any way towards rehabilitation, deterrent or punishment, and only protects shops from someone who wants warmth and a bed to sleep in.
(Downvote if you see this as the daily ExtraD ragebait)
removing him from society is exactly what we want – shopkeepers pay taxes to the state, which in return should be providing protection to them, from thieves.
other countries take the sensible route – stop stealing or death penalty
Its a waste of a prison cell, although I agree, there should be a cheaper version of prison for offenders that want to be in prison.
Chop his hands off, leave him with couple of stumps, then he couldn’t nick anything. Caught this scumbag numerous times trying to steal, lowest of the low. He will be out in 3 months.
How much will it cost society to then pay for his 24 hour care?
None, let him fend for himself. I have no sympathy for this scumbag, as I have said, he is big enough and ugly enough to steal from where I work, he can speak clearly, and his use of abusive language is very colourful, if you have never encountered him please don’t comment on it please. Your always in the wrong
There should be an Island wide shop premises ban for this low life with his photo prominently positioned at shop entrances. However this will probably be against his “human rights” and all the do-gooders would be up in arms.
I agree, but shops are not allowed, something to do with privacy laws I think, I will look into this.
In a way this case is a shame as he obviously believes that prison is his best option. Won’t he just pick up where he left off the day he’s released? He’s virtually unemployable as he’s so well known for all the wrong reasons. Short of keeping him in permanent custody, what else is there to do with this offender?
of course he will – unless the law changes, it will be “old father time” that catches up with him. Nearly every person that does prison time will tell you – as you get older, it gets harder to do. He will wake up one morning and realise that he doesn’t have the stomach for jail anymore, cannot get a job because he has been a p rick all his life, will be homeless and hungry. He will be too weak and pathetic to steal from the shops as he will be old and slow – the staff will just push him back out the door. He will then head to homeless hostels in search of food.
unless he makes an effort to change his ways – then the future is bleak for him