A hapless shoplifter who thought he was about to walk free after serving a three month prison sentence found himself arrested within minutes of stepping out of the prison gates – when he walked into the arms of waiting Camden police officers.
Michael Kaladeen, 46, was caught on CCTV shoplifting from a coffee shop in South End Green, Hampstead, on October 1.
After being identified by officers, they found he was now serving time in Woodhill Prison, Milton Keynes, for a string of other shoplifting offences.
Camden officers travelled to the high security Category A prison and waited outside the gates to re-arrest him.
The serial shoplifter, found himself back in custody and behind bars within minutes.
He appeared at Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court last Tuesday where he pleaded guilty to shoplifting and was sentenced to pay a fine of £100. Time already spent in custody was counted as time served.
Inspector Howard Hornby, of West Hampstead Safer Neighbourhoods team, said: “This is a serial shoplifter who had committed over 70 offences and it just goes to show that we’ll arrest criminals wherever they are.”
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