Serial Greggs shoplifter avoids jailRuth Comerford Thu, November 12, 2026 at 11:40 AM UTC
O'Neill's crimes led to the Met Police spending 120 hours working on the case, the force said
A serial shoplifter who stole £2,000 worth of soft drinks from a south London branch of Greggs has been given a suspended jail term, to the disappointment of the Met Police.
Tiffany O'Neill, 28, has been arrested, charged and remanded to court 11 times since May, the Met said. She was repeatedly released despite breaching her bail conditions and returning to the same Greggs in Brixton, the force said.
On Wednesday, she was sentenced at Croydon Magistrates' Court, having admitted 80 offences. She received a 26-week jail sentence, suspended for a year.
Sgt Chris Wilkinson said it was "obviously a disappointment that someone we know has reoffended so frequently is now back out in the community".
O'Neill was also banned from entering the borough of Lambeth and was supposed to wear a GPS tag.
It is understood there were four attempts to put a tag on O'Neill at her address but she was not present on each occasion. She also failed to turn up to court on three occasions.
In addition to the suspended sentence, a Criminal Behaviour Order was issued, banning her from Brixton town centre and all Greggs stores in the UK for two years.
Under new rules aimed at easing prison overcrowding, courts are generally expected to suspend custodial sentences of 12 months or less.
Redesigning shops and investing in technology is one of the ways Greggs says it is combatting shoplifting
Wilkinson said officers had spent 120 hours on the case and worked "relentlessly" over several months to bring O'Neill before the courts.
"Despite multiple arrests and repeated offences, we remained focused on securing a positive outcome for our community," he said.
"Her persistent offending caused repeated distress to staff, harmed the business and placed a significant demand on police resources."
Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist said the cumulative impact on retailers and local communities was "enormous".
"We need the CPS, courts, prisons and probation to work with us to break the cycle of continued release and reoffending," he said.
'Meaningful consequences'
Greggs has trialled a number of initiatives in its stores to tackle shoplifting.
In April, it removed display cabinets in several London stores that had been badly hit by shoplifters, including branches in Croydon, Peckham, Whitechapel and Upton Park.
Roisin Currie, chief executive of Greggs, said the bakery chain was also investing in technology to combat crime, including CCTV and a platform shared with law enforcement.
"We support efforts to apprehend repeat offenders, and we welcome calls for meaningful consequences for those who repeatedly target retailers," she said.
"Importantly, we would like to see a renewed focus on positive interventions and services that prevent reoffending."
Official figures show shoplifting offences in England and Wales topped half a million last year - a year-on-year increase of about 20%.
On Wednesday, the Home Office announced plans to target 500 of the most prolific shoplifters in the UK.
Sixteen police forces are taking part in the year-long scheme, which will see them focus on serial offenders.
A government spokesperson said it was rolling out more tagging of offenders protect the public.
"We are tagging more offenders before they leave the prison gate and continue to work closely with the police to manage offenders on court bail, with the protection of victims, witnesses and the public always a key consideration in bail decisions," they said.
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Source: Crime
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