Police officers travelled more than 50 miles circling Cambridge on bikes to catch Sonny Matthews.
PC Emily-Jayne Matthews said: “Matthews evaded police for some time while continuing to commit crime across the city.”
But they got their man who has now been jailed for more than a year.
Matthews, 33, of Thoday Street, Cambridge, was arrested in the city on Thursday for a string of offences including common assault, shop theft, bike theft, possession of a knife and breaching a Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO).
He had stolen goods worth more than £1,000 between February 2022 and 2023.
At Cambridge Magistrates’ Court on Friday, Matthews was sentenced to a year and four weeks in prison after pleading guilty to common assault, eight breaches of a CBO and 12 counts of theft.
His CBO, which remains in place until October 2024, states he must not:
Enter any Tesco, Co-Op, or Sainsbury’s within the boundaries of the M11, A14 or A11 in Cambridge.
Enter John Lewis in Cambridge.
Not to enter any shop in possession of a rucksack within the boundaries of the M11, A14 or A11 in Cambridge.
PC Emily-Jayne Matthews, from the Cambridge Neighbourhood Team, said: “Matthews has evaded police for some time while continuing to commit crime across the city.
“Thanks to the persistence of the neighbourhood officers and more than 50 miles circling Cambridge on a bike looking for him, Matthews has been put before the courts and sentenced for the crimes he has committed.
“We hope this provides some respite to those at the receiving end of his offending.”
