Eastbourne man banned from shops after stealing 'thousands of pounds worth of items'

Lee Parnaby, 32, has been convicted of 50 counts of shoplifting since March 2024, according to Sussex Police.

In a bid to prevent further offending, the police force applied for a Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO) against Parnaby, of Terminus Road.

A Sussex Police spokesperson said: “He appeared before Brighton Magistrates Court on Tuesday, January 7, charged with two counts of shoplifting.

"He pleaded guilty to both charges.”

At the hearing, the police force’s CBO application was granted by the court. Sussex Police said it lasts for five years and prohibits Parnaby from the following:

• Entering any Co-Op store in East Sussex
• Entering any Sainsbury’s store in East Sussex
• Entering Marks and Spencer, Terminus Road, Eastbourne
• Entering any Tesco store in Eastbourne
• Entering Asda, The Crumbles, Eastbourne
• Entering Morrisons, Grove Road, Eastbourne
• Remaining on any retail premises within the county of Sussex after being asked to leave by the owner, any member of staff employed by that premises, or any security staff operating at that premises.

Inspector Sarah Taylor, from Eastbourne Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: “Lee Parnaby is a prolific offender who repeatedly targeted the same stores, causing distress and fear to staff and customers.

“Sussex Police will use every avenue available to deal with offenders like him. The CBO for Parnaby is a real success and serves to protect retailers in the longer term.

“We are committed to improving working relationships with local stores. Anyone choosing to offend in this way should know that if they do not take the support offered to address their behaviour, we will not hesitate in escalating matters to protect businesses in our county.”