A Northolt man has been jailed after admitting 21 shoplifting offences and being linked to further thefts across north west London.
Sam Riley, 37, of Dabbs Hill Lane, Northolt, was sentenced to 12 weeks’ imprisonment at Willesden Magistrates’ Court last Friday (29 May 2026).
The sentence followed his arrest by Metropolitan Police officers in Petts Hill, Northolt, after staff reported a suspected shoplifting incident at a BP petrol station.
Officers on patrol on 22 April 2026 were alerted to a man attempting to leave the store with a bag of stolen items. They intervened and arrested Riley at the scene.
Police said Riley had previously pleaded guilty to a total of 21 shoplifting offences at Willesden Magistrates’ Court on 8 May 2026.
During their investigation, officers also established that he was wanted in connection with more than 20 further shoplifting offences in the area.
Sergeant Ashleigh Harte, who led the investigation, said: “Tackling shoplifting continues to be a priority for the Met and we are focused on tackling repeat offenders such as Sam Riley.
“Shoplifting is down by 28 per cent in Ealing and, across the Met, we have nearly doubled the number of shoplifting cases solved in the last year.
“This progress reflects a determined, targeted policing approach, backed by technology such as facial recognition and strong partnerships with retailers, whose cooperation is crucial in identifying and stopping the repeat offenders responsible for so much of this harm.”
