Waterstones shoplifter jailed: Derbyshire Police catch book thief 60 seconds after being told about crime
Sean Keegan was also charged with criminal damage after knocking over items in a window display.
A shoplifter has been jailed after officers caught him just one minute after being told about the crime.
A member of public told officers that a man had been shoplifting in Waterstones in St Peter’s Street, Derby city centre, at 4.33pm on Friday 25 April.
They gave the officer a description of the man and the direction in which he was heading.
Officers managed to track down the suspect close-by and arrest him just one minute later.
Sean Keegan was charged with theft for stealing £156 worth of goods after being found with a number of items including a book and a bird house.
He was also charged with criminal damage after knocking over items in a window display.
The 51-year-old, of no fixed abode, admitted both offences at Southern Derbyshire Magistrates’ Court on Saturday 26 April.
He was jailed for three months at a sentencing hearing held at the court on Wednesday 14 May.
Officers who made the arrest were part of Operation Shango, a dedicated campaign aimed at cracking down on anti-social behaviour using targeted extra high-visibility patrols.