Sherry-stealer jail term slammed

Davies had been banned twice from the Somerfield store

A six-month jail term for a homeless man who stole a bottle of sherry from a shop he was banned from days before has been criticised by a charity.

Stephen Davies, 42, was banned from most off-licences in Winchester for two years and from drinking in public just last Thursday.

But on Tuesday he was jailed after he stole the sherry from Somerfield.

The crime reduction campaign Smart Justice says the prison term is unlikely to change Davies' behaviour.

This was Stephen Davies' second chance to change his ways Steve French City centre sergeant

Basingstoke magistrates sentenced him to six months in prison when he appeared before them on Tuesday.

The anti-social behaviour order (ASBO) banned Davies from entering any premises that is a member of the Shopwatch scheme and any licensed premises within the city centre.

Lucie Russell, Director of crime reduction campaign SmartJustice said: "Prison has a notoriously poor record on changing offending behaviour - eight in ten shoplifters are reconvicted within two years of release.

"Offenders should be forced to face up to the damage they have done by paying back to society through compulsory work, compensating victims where appropriate and by tackling the problems that caused them to offend in the first instance such as alcohol and drug abuse."

But city centre Sergeant Steve French said: "This was Stephen Davies' second chance to change his ways.

"He continually broke the Shopwatch order imposed in May this year so we applied for an ASBO, which was broken within four days of it being issued.

"Often retailers perceive that the court fails to deal positively with persistent offenders and this result will go some way to changing that perception."

The ASBO lasts for two years from the date of issue and will continue to be active when Davies is released from prison.