A SERIAL thief has been banned from entering any retail premises in Christchurch for three years.

Crispin Assanah, aged 45, has also been barred from entering all Marks and Spencer, BP garage and Co-op stores in Dorset over the same period.

The prohibitions have been imposed by the courts through a criminal behaviour order, following an application by Dorset Police.

The move from the force came after the defendant was convicted of 41 thefts, one attempted theft, a single offence of handling stolen goods and an assault by beating charge.

Magistrates granted the criminal behaviour order for a period of three years.

Appearing in the dock at Poole Magistrates' Court on Thursday, January 13, Assanah, of Frances Road, Bournemouth, pleaded guilty to eight counts of theft and the assault by beating offence.

The court heard the overall value of goods taken in the eight shoplifting incidents, which occurred between August and December last year, was £915.72.

Assanah's thefts saw him take a variety of items, but in the majority of cases it involved meat produce.

He stole from the Co-op in Madeira Road, Bournemouth, and Wimborne Road, Poole, BP garage in Somerford Road, Christchurch, Marks and Spencer in High Street, Christchurch.

The assault occurred on a woman at the Christchurch town centre M&S.

He also admitted conviction of an offence while he was subject to a community order made on August 18 last year for the 33 other offences.

The majority of these were similar shoplifting matters.

Alongside approving the criminal behaviour order, the bench imposed a 12-month community order, with a requirement to complete six months of drug rehabilitation and up to 30 days of rehabilitation activity.

A Christchurch Neighbourhood Policing Team spokesperson said: "We recognise that Crispin Assanah’s repeat offending has had a significant impact on local businesses. As well as theft offences, his crimes also included threats and an assault on shop staff and we will not tolerate this kind of behaviour.

“We are committed to working with our partners and the local business community to take action against regular offenders such as Assanah.

“We worked hard to compile evidence to put before the court to secure this Criminal Behaviour Order, which we hope will help prevent further offending by this defendant. We also hope this serves as a warning to other repeat offenders that we will make every effort to push for more robust sentences.”

Criminal behaviour orders were introduced in 2014 as a replacement to the anti-social behaviour order (ASBO) and the drinking banning order (DBO). They can be imposed by crown, magistrates' and youth courts.

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