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Prolific Hastings shoplifter remanded for sentencing likely to face long jail term

A prolific and frequently abusive and threatening shoplifter who targeted stores across East Sussex, and particularly Hastings, has been remanded in custody awaiting Crown Court sentencing after pleading guilty to 60 offences.

Sixteen of these were for breaches of previous court orders and two were for common assault, with the remainder being for theft from stores across the area amounting to thousands of pounds over recent months.

Christopher Ball, aged 28, of Terrace Road, St Leonards, appeared in Brighton Magistrates court on 2nd October 2024 and pleaded guilty to all charges.

He admitted to having big problems with drug addiction and stated that he needed serious help. He requested bail and told the magistrate that, if he was sent back to prison, he would continue his crack cocaine habit there and almost certainly return to the same lifestyle on release.

The court heard, however, that following his last prison term he had failed to keep appointments for drug rehabilitation and based on this, plus his pattern of repeat offending, the magistrate turned down his request to be released with a tag. She indicated her belief that Ball would most likely return to theft once he became under the influence of drugs again, and as such she felt tagging to be an ineffective course of action.

She told the defendant how she understood how difficult and sad it was that he seemed to want to shake off his drug habit, but the fact that it was such an entrenched one made prison the only option, as she felt this was his best chance of getting the help he needed whilst in confinement and isolated from his regular dealers.

Rather than pass sentence herself she stated that a suitably lengthy term could only be issued by the Crown Court, and so she remanded him to custody until a sentencing hearing on 30th October.

John Bownas, manager of the Hastings Business Crime Reduction Partnership, said: “Christopher Ball has been the most troublesome and prolific offender in shops around town in Hastings for several months. His behaviour has been becoming increasingly disturbed and erratic and shop staff have received threats as well as several minor assaults.

“This has led to many thousands of pounds of stock loss – and that is money that stores can only recover by increasing the prices of goods on their shelves – meaning we are all victims.

“The psychological impact on shop staff faced with this level of daily criminality is also a big concern, as people working on the shop floor are not equipped or trained to deal with determined and often violent or abusive thieves.

“Whilst the prison system is undoubtedly overstretched and it would be better if people like Christopher Ball could be kept out and given the treatment and support they need in the community, in situations like this a lengthy sentence is often the only realistic option to protect the public.”

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