Information » Law & Rights » Crime » Theft Robbery and Shoplifting
Theft and Robbery
- Theft is taking something that you know doesn’t belong to you
- It covers everything from shoplifting and stealing cars to picking up and keeping items that people leave around such as bags and mobile phones
- It is a crime to keep or sell something that has been stolen this is called handling stolen goods
- When force is used to steal this is robbery and it is a more serious crime than theft and will normally be tried in a Crown Court
- For both theft and robbery just acting as a lookout or being part of a group that carries out the crime will be enough to get you prosecuted, even if you didn’t actually do the stealing.
Shoplifting
- Taking something from a shop without paying for it is shoplifting
- Shops around the U.K. lose millions through shoplifting and are wising up
- Store security cameras and under cover security guards are everywhere and if you are caught, there are serious implications
- Shopkeepers say that the total cost of youth shoplifting is £190,000,000 a year
- For some people shoplifting is a like an addiction or a compulsive disorder
- If you feel you have to shoplift, get help before it spirals out of control and you have a criminal record which will amongst other things damage your work prospects.
