On your bike – prolific city cycle thief sentenced

A thief who stole two bikes with a value of almost £2000 from public cycle racks in the City, has been sentenced after he was arrested, following joint working between the City of London and Metropolitan Police forces.

Anthony Shaughnessy, age 32, of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty to two counts of cycle theft and received a 12 month community order, an electronic tag with home curfew between 9am and 7am for three months, six months of drug testing and rehabilitation and a 24 month sentence suspended until July 2023, at Thames Magistrates Court on 23 March 2022.

Shaughnessy also received a Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO) which prevents him from carrying out the below activities for the next five years:

• being in possession of an angle grinder, bolt cropper or other tool made or adapted to cut through metal, save for where necessary in the course on his verifiable, lawful employment;
• being in possession of any pedal or electric cycle in a public space unless it is registered in his name on bikeregister.com;
• taking part in the disposal or sale of bicycles, electric bicycles or bicycle parts; and
• entering any bicycle storage area or loitering around a parked bicycle.

Temporary Detective Constable Matt Cooper, from the City of London Police, led the investigation. He said:

“City of London Police officers are passionate about keeping our communities safe. We work closely with partners throughout the Square Mile, such as businesses, neighbouring forces and community groups, which in this instance led to Shaughnessy’s identification and subsequent arrest.

“Our officers use a range of tactics to identify and locate opportunistic offenders looking to prey on innocent victims.

“Policing is at its best when it involves the whole community, and this result is testament to that.”

Shaughnessy was spotted in Langdon Park, E14, on 12 October 2021 with a bike that had been stolen earlier that day. Shortly after he was spotted, Shaughnessy became aware that officers were approaching him, and made off on the bike.

The following day, a member of the public reported their bike stolen from a gym in the City. Officers worked with local businesses to review CCTV around Silk Street, Cripplegate and Cannon Street and saw Shaughnessy stealing the second bike. City of London Police officers alerted neighbouring police forces and provided them with a detailed description of Shaughnessy and the bike in question.

Shaughnessy was arrested by Metropolitan Police officers on 9 January 2022, following a drugs stop, where they identified him as being wanted by the City of London Police for theft.

 

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