Marti Shearman, of no fixed address, was arrested on Saturday (August 1), in Guildford after being caught on CCTV stealing a bike. Further investigation connected him to several other bike thefts and shoplifting in Guildford over the past few months.

The police Neighbourhood Team in Guildford gathered the evidence needed to charge Shearman. He was charged with six counts of theft, including four bike thefts and two of shoplifting. In court on Monday (August 3), he pleaded guilty to all offences.

He was sentenced to eight months for the offences charged and two months for failing to comply with a community order.

Detective Constable Matthew Evans said: “This is a great result for the team who worked extremely hard to find out who was responsible and bring him to justice.

“The background work that went into reviewing the CCTV, linking Shearman to the crimes and orchestrating his arrest, was extensive and we hope this reassures the local community that we do take these offences seriously and we’ll do everything we can to bring those responsible to justice.”