Retired policeman fined for pursuing shoplifter in his car... while thief gets off scot-free
A RETIRED police officer described the criminal justice system as ‘broken’ yesterday after he was fined for pursuing a shoplifter in his car – while the offender escaped prosecution entirely.
Norman Brennan, 64, confronted the thief in the street and, when he turned and fled, followed him for nearly two miles before helping police arrest him. He then retraced the man’s steps and found nine expensive bottles of wine hidden behind a block of flats in a backpack.
But instead of being commended for his public-spirited bravery, Mr Brennan was astonished to receive a £130 fine from his local council for briefly driving the wrong way down a one-way street during the pursuit.
The shoplifter, meanwhile, was neither fined nor cautioned. The manager of Sainsbury’s Local on Twickenham Green, South-West London, decided not to press charges.
In a letter refusing his appeal against the fine, the London Borough of Richmond Upon Thames told Mr Brennan that ‘while I appreciate you were following an alleged shoplifter, you had no legal authority to enter this road’.
Mr Brennan told the MoS that at the time he was talking to a 999 operator on his hands-free and doing less than 5mph. He added that the ‘farcical episode’ makes a mockery of Policing Minister Chris Philp’s appeal to the public to help tackle the shoplifting epidemic by making citizen’s arrests when they see thieves stealing goods.
‘What a complete waste of my time and an absolute farce,’ he said. ‘The only one being punished here is me. This was a rare situation in which everything was handed to the police and Sainsbury’s on a plate – all the evidence and the culprit himself – but it still resulted in the guy walking free.
‘Big supermarkets need to get serious about tackling shoplifting by declaring that they will take action. The police are in the middle of this, not really bothering because they know that on the rare occasions cases do get to court the offenders are let off with a conditional discharge or a small fine or a community order.
‘The Government has promised a crackdown on this crime, which the police can’t fulfil. It’s all a big mess. The criminal justice system is broken, not fit for purpose.’
Mr Brennan, a former British Transport Police detective constable, has been honoured numerous times for bravery. Since retiring in 2009 he has been described as ‘one of the best-known voices of British policing’. He set up the Victims Of Crime Trust, whose patrons include Denise Fergus, the mother of murdered toddler James Bulger.
And he launched Protect The Protectors, which successfully campaigned for police to carry side-handled batons, stab-resistant vests and CS spray.
The Mail on Sunday has led the way on exposing Britain’s shoplifting scandal with a hard-hitting campaign calling for tougher action. We revealed how the crisis is costing stores £1billion a year.
Recalling the incident, Mr Brennan said he was in his car having a coffee one lunchtime last October when he heard a shout and saw a man in his 30s sprinting past with a backpack. ‘I know the staff in Sainsbury’s and saw one of them chasing him,’ he said. ‘I followed in my car, drove in front of him, jumped out and confronted him, but he turned and ran off behind a block of flats.’
Unable to pursue him on foot because of arthritic knees, Mr Brennan waited for the thief to reappear, then trailed him discreetly in his car to an industrial estate while speaking to a 999 operator who promised back-up.
Had he not turned into the oneway street, he said, he would have lost sight of the thief. ‘I am an advanced police driver and was extremely careful when driving – or rather crawling – down this road.
‘I was staggered by the response from Richmond – cold and dispassionate and lacking any common sense. Surely they could have exercised discretion.’
When the police arrived, Mr Brennan told them where he believed the man was hiding and the man was arrested. Mr Brennan said that when he recovered the backpack most of the wine bottles were broken. He returned them to the store, where he found the manager being interviewed by police.
Since retiring, Mr Brennan has caught 29 shoplifters. Of the latest incident he said: ‘The message seems to be that in today’s Britain you can go into a supermarket and steal whatever you like, safe in the knowledge that even if caught by police you won’t be punished.
‘I’ve been left to spend hours appealing against this stupid fine – which has now gone up to £195.’
A police spokesman said: ‘Officers responded to a report of shoplifting after a man stole several bottles of wine from a shop in Twickenham. He was detained nearby. Officers spoke with staff at the shop who did not wish to pursue the matter further.’
A spokesman for the supermarket said: ‘The safety of our colleagues and customers is our highest priority. We are in contact with the police about this incident.’