Man jailed following shop burglary in Chichester

A man has been jailed after thousands of pounds worth of stock was stolen in a business burglary in Chichester.

Police were called to reports of a burglary at Crew Clothing, South Street at around 10pm on 13 December 2023.

Officers attended and it was found that Andrew Irvine had entered the premises and stole nearly £30,000 worth of stock which included more than 100 pairs of jeans.

Irvine, 51, of Green Lane, Chichester was arrested at his address in relation to the incident and later charged with burglary.

He was found guilty and was sentenced to 15 months’ imprisonment at Portsmouth Crown Court on 9 April.

Sergeant Sam Milsom said: “I have to thank the hard-working efforts of our Response Investigation Teams who secured this charge quickly after the offence was carried out.

“Irvine has had justice served for the damage and cost he has caused to one of our retailers in Chichester. Retail crime is a high priority for Sussex Police and we will hold offenders accountable.

“The fact that Irvine waited around after first breaking in to see if anyone arrived shows his blatant and brazen attitude to the law.”