Notorious serial thief is jailed after breaching suspended sentence

A serial thief has been jailed for 20 weeks after he was caught stealing just two days after he had been given a suspended prison sentence for a previous theft.
Pictured is Shaun Donald Nicholson, 47, of  St Helen's Street, Chesterfield, who has been jailed for 20 weeks after he committed three thefts and breached a suspended sentence order.Pictured is Shaun Donald Nicholson, 47, of  St Helen's Street, Chesterfield, who has been jailed for 20 weeks after he committed three thefts and breached a suspended sentence order.
Pictured is Shaun Donald Nicholson, 47, of St Helen's Street, Chesterfield, who has been jailed for 20 weeks after he committed three thefts and breached a suspended sentence order.

Chesterfield magistrates’ court heard on Wednesday, January 25, how Shaun Donald Nicholson, 47, of St Helen’s Street, Chesterfield, stole razor blades from the Savers Shop, on Packer’s Row, Chesterfield, which put him in breach of a suspended prison sentence which he had received on January 17.

Nicholson pleaded guilty to the Savers Shop theft committed on January 19 and admitted breaching his suspended prison sentence which related to the theft of toothbrushes and fragrances valued at £345.99 belonging to Boots.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

He also pleaded guilty to stealing aftershave from the Savers Shop on December 15 and to stealing a coat from Marks and Spencer, on High Street, in the town, from December 20.

Prosecuting solicitor Becky Allsop said: “The defendant’s latest three offences were all captured on CCTV. On December 15 he was seen picking up two bottles of aftershave at the Savers Shop and put one back on a table but concealed the other one.

“At Marks and Spencer he was seen on footage picking up a coat and leaving without paying and at the Savers Shop again he was seen picking up razors and was seen leaving without paying.”

Nicholson told police that he uses heroin and he had sold stolen goods on to pay for drugs.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Defence solicitor Steve Brint said Nicholson has previously been before the courts 78 times and he has been addicted to class A drugs for three decades which has led to 196 different offences.

Mr Brint added that Nicholson has also been to custody as a serving prisoner on at least 30 occasions but he argued short periods in prison did not allow Nicholson to complete rehabilitation courses so has ended up reverting to type after his release.

Nicholson is also very well known by security guards, according to Mr Brint, so inevitably gets caught when he reoffends and ends up coming back to court.

Magistrates sentenced Nicholson to 20 weeks of custody and ordered him to pay £9.99 and £24.99 in compensation to the Savers Shop and £85 in compensation to Marks and Spencer.