An Essex man, Keith Wright, has been jailed for a string of offences including flashing staff at a shop in Chelmsford city centre. On August 22, Keith Wright was seen by staff in a shop in Moulsham Street when he approached the shop window and removed his genitals from his trousers before running away.
Then, on August 26, he entered the Moulsham Street Tesco – where he was banned from entering under the terms of a restraining order given to him in June 2024 – and attempted to steal alcohol before abusing staff verbally and leaving. On August 30 Keith Wright made threatening hand gestures, running his finger across his neck, at staff in a shop in Cornhill.
In another incident, on September 2, he stole alcohol from Tesco Express in Duke’s Walk and Morrisons Daily in Moulsham Street. In the Morrisons store he brandished a hypodermic needle and threatened to stab security staff before running away.
Keith Wright, of no fixed abode, was arrested later that day on suspicion of two public order offences, three thefts, breaching his restraining order, common assault, possessing an offensive weapon in a public place and outraging public decency. He was also in breach of a previous suspended sentence he received just 10 days before he pulled his genitals from his trousers in Moulsham Street.
He was charged with and pleaded guilty to all these offences, and was remanded in custody before he was sentenced on Wednesday November 27. Keith Wright was given a total of a 12-month prison sentence, as well as being given a five-year restraining order, and a five-year Criminal Behaviour Order.
Inspector Sam Girdlestone of Chelmsford’s Community Policing Team said: “Keith Wright has repeatedly and flagrantly ignored the previous sentences and court orders he received and his behaviour could only be met with a prison sentence. I’d like to thank all the security staff and shop owners who contacted us promptly about Keith Wright’s offending as well.”
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