Craig Sawyer, of no fixed abode, earned the nickname of Satchel Man in many of the stores he targeted after always taking his favourite brown shoulder bag with him, which allowed police to identify him.
The 51-year-old was jailed for 42 weeks at Kidderminster Magistrates Court on Monday (January 6), banned from all national Boots stores and stopped from entering Worcestershire under a five-year criminal behaviour order.
Sawyer, who was arrested at Co-op in Malvern on Saturday (January 4), was found guilty of a total of 16 counts of theft from store – 12 of which were Boots stores including five in Evesham and five in Malvern.
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Witnesses said Sawyer was known to dye his hair different colours and use glasses to change his appearance.
When he was arrested, he was found in possession of numerous different outer jackets.
He was also convicted of thefts from a Boots in Walsall and one in Shrewsbury; as well as two thefts at the Co-op on Worcester Road, Malvern, one at B&Q in Malvern and one at Savers in Newport, Shropshire.
These thefts totalled £11,475.55 and took place between March and December 2024.
Boots has since confirmed to police he was responsible for £28,000 in thefts from their stores nationally.
He was further sentenced to 22 weeks in prison to run consecutively as a suspended term was activated relating to two counts of theft from shops in Uttoxeter totalling £800.35 and going equipped for theft from a store in Uttoxeter, all on October 10, 2024.
A West Mercia Police spokesperson said: “Unfortunately for this master of disguise, he always took his favourite brown shoulder bag with him, earning him the nickname of Satchel Man in many of the stores he targeted.”
Safer Neighbourhood Inspector for Wychavon and Malvern, Dave Wise, added: “Achieving an immediate custodial sentence and CBO for Sawyer is a real success and serves to protect our retailers in the longer term.
“His CBO bans him from Worcestershire and from all Boots stores nationally.
“It’s our focus on retail crime and commitment to improving working relationships with local stores that has helped us catch this evasive and prolific thief.”