Prolific Cambridge bike thief jailed for six months
A prolific cycle thief from Cambridge has been jailed for six months after being caught in the act by off-duty police officers.
Joshua Collinson-Prime’s latest offending spree began when he stole two speakers worth more than £600 from John Lewis in St Andrew’s Street in May, which was captured on CCTV.
Then he was seen again on CCTV on May 16 stealing a locked bike parked at the Beehive Centre worth £1,200.
The 27-year-old was spotted by off-duty officers on June 19 breaking the lock of a Pinnacle mountain bike in Fitzroy Street.
He was arrested a few days later and appeared at Cambridge Magistrates’ Court on June 28.
Collinson Prime, of East Road, Cambridge, pleaded guilty to two counts of theft, two counts of bike theft and breaching a Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO).
He was sentenced to 24 weeks in prison and must pay £1,200 compensation to his first bike victim.
His CBO, in place until June 2024, states he must not:
- Be in possession of any bicycle part/bicycle without proof of purchase/ownership/lawful rental;
- Advertise, sell, or offer to sell any pedal cycle of bike part that you do not have proof of ownership for financial or other gain; or
- Go to any Co-Op in Cambridge within the boundary of the M11, A11, A505 and A14.
PC Emily-Jayne Matthews, from the Cambridge city neighbourhood policing team, said: “Bike thieves like Collinson-Prime cause misery to their victims. These bikes are often victim’s only mode of transport and can be expensive to replace.
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“Cycle theft continues to be a priority for neighbourhood officers in the city. We are working closely with partners across the city to combat theft through cycle awareness days, bike marking with Immobilise, education, catching offenders and recovering stolen bikes with proactive patrols.
“We urge any victims to report thefts to us as soon as possible and to ensure their bikes are registered so they can be reunited with them if stolen.”
