Following an investigation by Thames Valley Police, a man has been jailed for theft and weapon offences in Maidenhead.

Shane Lee Nicholls, aged 44, of Lesters Road, Cookham, was sentenced to six months in jail at Reading Magistrates Court on Thursday (13/11).

Nicholls was found guilty of:

• One count of handling stolen goods
• One count of possession of a knife blade / sharp pointed article in a public place
• Burglary other than dwelling – theft

He pleaded guilty on the same day.

On Wednesday (12/11), Thames Valley Police received a report from a victim of theft, stating that a number of items has been stolen from their vehicle overnight, including a laptop, mouse and headphones.

At the time of the report, Sergeant Luke Jenkins and Inspector Natasha Gidda from the Windsor and Maidenhead Neighbourhood Policing Team were out on foot patrol in Maidenhead town centre.

They detained two men in the town for a stop and search, one of whom was in possession of a carrier bag. Within that bag were a number of items, including a laptop, mouse, tablet and other items; including a number of business cards in the name of the victim.

A call to the owner of the business cards helped officers connect the dots, where the property related to the recent theft from a motor vehicle. Officers then re-united the items with the rightful owner, who was very grateful.

Nicholls was arrested on suspicion of handling stolen goods and possession of a bladed article. He was also overdue for an interview in relation to a burglary that occurred in October last year, where a man had been captured on CCTV entering the rear entrance of Sainsbury’s, stealing food. He was charged and remanded for all three offences.

Sergeant Luke Jenkins, of the Maidenhead Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: “This incident highlights the successful use of stop and search and foot patrolling by Neighbourhood Police.

“We were able to promptly re-unite the victim with his lost items that he needed for work, before they were lost.

“We encourage people to report any theft from their motor vehicle, no matter how small, as this helps us identify emerging trends and identify offenders like Nicholls.”