A prolific shoplifter banned from every Co-op in the city has been jailed for 16 months after admitting 27 offences. Chelsea Townsend, 26, of no fixed address, appeared at Norwich Crown Court on Wednesday where she pleaded guilty to eight shop thefts and six breaches of a Criminal Behaviour Order.
Her haul included meat and chocolate taken from multiple shops across Norwich. Townsend was already banned from all Co-op stores when she committed the thefts, repeatedly defying the court order issued in June 2024. Duncan Etchells, staff supervisor for Norfolk Police’s Operation Converter unit, said: “Townsend is well known across Norwich for her persistent offending. She repeatedly targets stores taking hundred of pounds worth of stock in a single grab showing no regard at all for previous court orders or the impact of her offending.”
Operation Converter worked with Townsend while she was in custody, and she admitted a further 13 offences which were taken into consideration at sentencing. That brought the total number of crimes dealt with in a single hearing to 27. The unit routinely investigates serial offenders and offers them the chance to have additional crimes cleared from the books.
Retail crime has been a persistent challenge for city centre businesses, and police say they hope the sentence marks a turning point. The ban on entering any Co-op in Norwich reflects the retailer’s repeated targeting by Townsend.
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