By Our Crime Desk
A SERIAL shoplifter who treated a local garage like his personal pantry has been hauled off to the cells—thanks to a pair of sharp-eyed rookie cops.
Ryan Kiely, 34, thought he had it made as he tried to stroll out of a BP garage on Lee High Road with a haul of unpaid snacks and drinks. But the light-fingered crook didn’t count on crossing paths with the Met’s newest recruits.
As the officers approached the shop on Wednesday, February 25, panicked staff pointed out Kiely as he made a break for it with £85 worth of stolen goods.
The Great Escape? Not Likely.
Kiely attempted to bolt, sparking a short but frantic foot chase. However, the fresh-faced officers proved they were more than a match for the career criminal, quickly detaining him and recovering every single item.
Once in cuffs, the truth about Kiely’s “prolific” past came to light. Not only was he already wanted for two other thefts at the exact same garage, but he was also:
Wanted on recall to prison
Breaching a Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO)
Swift Justice
Met bosses praised the new recruits for their “community crime-fighting” spirit. Chief Inspector Rav Pathania said the arrest proves the force is laser-focused on “targeting repeat offenders who cause harm to businesses.”
The 34-year-old of no fixed address didn’t have to wait long for his day in court. He was hauled before Bromley Magistrates’ the very next day, where he was slapped with a 16-week prison sentence after being convicted of three counts of shoplifting and three counts of breaching his CBO.
It seems this “BP Bandit” will be trading garage meal deals for prison porridge for the foreseeable future.
