Worthing and Brighton bike thief caught in the act outside leisure centre - 'He has been a blight on the community'

Dean Haggerty, 48 – unemployed, of Twyford Gardens, Salvington – has been jailed for a total of 12 months for multiple crimes in Worthing and Brighton.

Among the offences was an incident outside Splashpoint Leisure Centre in Brighton Road – which was captured on CCTV.

This video below shows the moment Haggerty used bolt cutters to steal a bike which was locked up.

Inspector Sharon Sawyer, of the Adur and Worthing Neighbourhood Policing Team (NPT), said: “Haggerty has been a blight on the community for many, many months, and this is evidenced by his persistent offending.

“We work with the public, local authorities and the business community to prevent and detect incidents of theft, and I’d like to personally thank everyone who has assisted in our investigation to bring Haggerty to justice."

Have you read?: Bike theft in Worthing being treated as a 'priority' by police officers

Haggerty appeared before Lewes Crown Court on Friday, November 11 – where he was jailed for a total of 12 months for the following offences:

- Theft of alcohol worth £129 from Sainsbury’s at Lyons Farm, Worthing, on June 21;

- Theft of bedding and towels worth £174 from Home Sense in North Street, Brighton, on June 14;

- Theft of a bike worth £325 from Brighton Road, Worthing, on June 16;

- Fraud by false representation, namely used a stolen bank card to buy items worth £44 from Tesco Express in South Farm Road, Worthing, and items worth £50 from Tarring News and Wine in Church Road, Worthing, on September 20;

- Theft of tobacco worth £400 from WH Smith in Churchill Square, Brighton, on August 13;

- Theft of approximately 15 DVDs worth an unknown value from WH Smith in Churchill Square, Brighton, on August 13;

- Theft of toiletries worth £41 from Wilko in the Guildbourne Centre, Worthing, on July 7;

- Theft of a bike worth £500 from Newland Street, Worthing, on July 7;

- Theft of a bike worth an unknown value from Northbook College in Broadwater Road, Worthing, on May 24;

- Theft of a bike worth £1,200 from Brighton Road, Worthing, on June 22;

- Theft of a bike worth an unknown value from Upper Brighton Road, Worthing, on June 22;

- Criminal damage of a bike worth £143 in Upper Brighton Road, Worthing, on June 22.

Inspector Sawyer added: “It was imperative that we gathered as much evidence as possible – including statements from victims and witnesses, and clear CCTV footage – to present a case to the Crown Prosecution Service.

“Bike thefts have been a particular issue in Worthing this past year, and this case provides some reassurance that one of those thieves has been locked up.

“We are mindful of the emotional and financial impact of these offences on victims, and I would encourage any victims or witnesses of crimes to continue to report it to us."

Police officers ‘regularly patrol the town’ – including the areas identified as theft ‘hot spots’.

"The more intelligence we can build up, the more likely we are to catch criminals and hopefully return the stolen bikes to their rightful owners – especially if they are logged with Bike Register,” Inspector Sawyer said.

"The Adur and Worthing NPT also hold regular bike marking sessions alongside Neighbourhood Watch, and further sessions will be held in the New Year.”

Click here to read more about how to protect your bike from theft.

See also: Major A27 incident: Man fighting for his life in hospital after collision with police car between Worthing and Arundel

Photos of Worthing, Littlehampton, Shoreham and Steyning area children who started school this year