A 35-year-old woman from Swindon has been sentenced to 44 weeks in prison after repeatedly breaking a court order designed to protect local shops from her persistent thefts. Tracey Manser, of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty to multiple counts of shoplifting and breaching a Criminal Behaviour Order when she appeared at Swindon Magistrates’ Court on 8 April 2026.
The court order, which was issued in December 2025, specifically prohibited Manser from entering any Co-op store within the borough of Swindon. Despite this legal restriction, she repeatedly visited the shop on Beechcroft Road to steal various items, including meat and laundry products.
Inspector David Tippetts of the Wiltshire Police Swindon Centre South Neighbourhood Team said the sentence serves as a reminder that shoplifting is not a victimless crime. He noted that an additional penalty was applied to the sentence specifically because she chose to ignore the court order.
Manser has a long history of shoplifting in the area, having previously received various community orders and jail terms for similar offences. According to the police, the repeated thefts have had a significant impact on businesses in and around the town centre, and this latest jail term is intended to provide some relief to local shop owners.
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