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Since the start of 2023, Cambridgeshire has seen all manner of crime, from drug dealing to murder, as police work around the clock to keep the county’s streets safe. Some commit crimes that leave people devastated while they take from others, often targeting the most vulnerable.

Several thieves have been jailed since January in the county. The courts have brought them to justice and put them behind bars.

Below is a list of some of the most prolific thieves to have been jailed so far this year:

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Stephen Whittington

A Peterborough thief has been jailed after he tried to flee a restaurant with bottles of alcohol he stole from behind the bar. Stephen Whittington, 41, stormed into Granary, on Ham Lane, in the early hours of October 19, armed with a knife, screwdriver and hammer.

A member of the public saw Whittington dragging himself behind the bar with a bag and reported him to police around 3:30 a.m. When he fled the restaurant with four bottles of spirits, he was met by two officers with tasers.

Whittington, of Whittlesey Road, Stanground, Peterborough, admitted to robbery, possession of a knife in a public place and failure to comply with Sex Offenders Register reporting requirements. He was jailed for 18 months.

To read the full article, click here.

terry lewis

A thief who forgot birth certificates and prison ID after targeting charity shops, churches and other businesses in Cambridge has been jailed for a year. Terry Lewis also left behind DNA, fingerprints and plenty of CCTV footage during his botched three-month crime spree, which often saw him leave empty-handed.

During his one-man crime spree, he targeted a tanning shop on Chesterton High Street, an industrial unit on Orwell Furlong, St Giles Church on Castle Street and the RSPCA charity shop on Burleigh Street and made off with a box of church collection and £25.

Terry also tried to get into the British Heart Foundation on the East Road. He stole £330 in cash and approximately £5,000 worth of jewelery from the North London Hospice in the High Street, Barnet.

Now Lewis, with no fixed address, has been sentenced to a year in prison at Huntingdon Justice Courts after pleading guilty to five counts of robbery and one attempted robbery. He also admitted to nine other thefts that have been taken into consideration.

To read the full article, click here

Thomas Howden

Thief Thomas Howden caused thousands of pounds of damage after a spate of robberies and shoplifting. The 34-year-old man stole laptops after breaking into a business on Trinity Street, Peterborough, on January 8 this year. where he returned the next morning.

A few weeks later, on January 27, he targeted Boots in Queensgate and made off with two large boxes of Yankee candles. On February 1 she stole two bottles of alcohol from Waitrose in Mayors Walk.

On February 3, Howden returned to the business premises on Trinity Street for the fourth time at around 4:20 am. This time he left with a backpack that contained more electrical items. The next day, he broke into an optician’s in the city’s Cumbergate, stuffed a backpack with glasses and went on the run. Blood found at the scene was forensically analyzed and returned a positive match to his DNA.

Cambridgeshire Police said the total value of the stolen goods and the damage caused to property was in excess of £39,000. Howden, whose address is unknown, admitted to seven counts of robbery and two counts of shoplifting. On Monday March 20, at Cambridge Crown Court, he was jailed for one year.

To read the full article, click here

Gareth Farrington and Rachel McGill

A “career thief” and his girlfriend stole and then pawned thousands of pounds worth of jewellery. Gareth Farrington admitted to breaking into two properties in Girton and one in Hilton in March and April last year.

The 36-year-old man and his girlfriend Rachel McGill have also admitted to handling stolen property from properties in Girton, Hilton, Cottenham, Caldecote, Dry Drayton, Linton, Great Shelford, Hemingford Grey, Harston, Hauxton, Oakington and Swaffham. CCTV footage and receipts revealed they had pawned thousands of pounds worth of jewelery to jewelers and pawnbrokers across the county.

They were arrested at their home on Chesterton Road in Cambridge in October last year. Farrington was found hiding in a locked closet in the hallway.

At Cambridge Crown Court on March 10, Farrington pleaded guilty to three counts of robbery and ten counts of handling stolen property and was sentenced to six years and two months in prison. McGill pleaded guilty to 16 counts of handling stolen property and was sentenced to three years in prison.

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